The Legend of Zelda: The Book of Wyrd
by MasterSword50
Summary: As Link struggles with his new responsibilties, a strange dream haunts him. Trying to decipher it's meaning, he is led on a perilous journey, one that threatens to take everything he holds dear[Sequel to Through Time and Twilight][TP Spoilers][LinkxMidna]
1. Prologue: Lost Treasures

**A/N: Greetings everyone! It's been a while since I wrapped up Through Time and Twilight, and due to it's popularity, I decided to make a sequel. If you didn't read Through Time and Twilight, you won't understand much of what's happening. You can find a link to it under my list of stories in my profile.**

**The title is a little odd, so let me explain it a little.**

**Wyrd is an anglo-saxon belief that fate guides everything in the course of our lives. And considering TP's strong ties to fate, I thought that the title of something such as this would be appropriate.**

**This takes place five years after the events in Through Time and Twilight. The story isn't completly planned out, like my first fic, but I feel that I should give you the prologue, which has been done for some time. I find that so far, this fic has a much darker tone to it then my last fic, and will make you scratch your head a little more. Updates, I hate to admit, will also be much less frequent then last time.**

**But enough of my rambling. On with the story!**

Prologue: Lost Treasures

Darkness. It covered everything in his path. The cold eerie silence of the night was like a shroud over his ears, muffling any suspicious sounds around him. He continued to cut through the underbrush like a madman.

"_The ruins should be close_," he thought.

He was walking through a thick forest, one that had been known for its dark and creepy secrets. No one had walked along it's path for quite some time with the recent troubles surrounding it. He was heading for the ruins of an old temple, abandoned long ago.

"_Why he sent me here, I'll never know_," the man thought again, darkness covering his identity.

He could feel he was getting close; his instincts told him so. He finally saw a small light from the trees in front of him. The light danced with an illuminating glow, beckoning the man to come over. He followed the light, stepping through the underbrush, his face exposed.

The light exposed the man to be a twili solider. The twili man had dark green eyes and wore standard issue solider gear. A plate of solid chain-mail armor, with metal greaves on his legs. He wielded no sword or battle axe, all he needed was his magic and a small dagger by his side just in case. He wore a metal helmet that had a long strand of metal come down the gap between his eyes.

The light marked the entrance to the ruins. The ruins, as suspected, looked like it had been abandoned for many centuries. Rectangular shaped blocks of stone made up the ruins outer appearance, the faded brown color on them showing the effects erosion had on nature's cinder blocks. All around the ruins grew various types of shrubbery. Vines and moss grew freely, giving the ruins of this once great temple an ancient appearance.

"He wants me to search _this_ place?" the twili asked aloud, clearly unnerved by the frightening vibe of the ruins.

Seizing the nearby torch that held the light, he went into the dark and musty ruins, not knowing what waited before him.

--------------------------------

The twili could tell that there had been others who passed through here before him. Footprints could clearly be seen in the dirt trail with the light of his torch. Branches that stuck out between cracks in the stone walls were broken as well. It looked like what ever had passed through here last was in a hurry to get in to the temple.

"_Or out of the temple_…" the twili thought grimly.

The twili continued to press further into the temple unwillingly. He continued to use the footprints and other signs of life to guide him, hoping to not get lost in the temple's dark corridors. He needed to hurry; the fire from his torch was slowly dying out with the lack of fresh air.

Finally, it seemed that the twili solider had reached his destination. He stood in front of a big door, ancient twili writing on the front of it. It was written in an old and outdated form of the ancient twilit language, a testament to the ruins age. The twili solider studied the markings for some time. He could interpret some of the writing, but the main body of the message on the door was illegible to him. The only readable thing was an ominous message that read…

"The ancient spirits of Wyrd corrupts the mind of those who attempt to touch its dusty pages."

"_Very nice_," the twili solider thought sarcastically.

He knew he could not turn back now. His King told him that this mission was of the utmost importance. He remembered what he had told him two weeks ago in the royal court…

"I would go myself," he began, his deep blue eyes looking hard into his, "but I have to look after things while the queen is away on business."

"You will be given a considerable force to command. Twenty men to be exact. Find the source of the disappearances, destroy it if you can, and report back to me."

The twili nodded with satisfaction then. Twenty men seemed like more than enough to investigate the woodland area, where recent trouble had been stirring up.

Now, in the desolate ruins all alone, without any of his forces remaining, the solider was wondering what truly was behind the door in front of him. His forces were decimated by the treacherous terrain and strange beings of the forest that guards these ruins. He knew now in his heart, that these ruins had to be the source of the evil pervading the woodlands. He must not let his King down, especially considering how celebrated a warrior his King was. He had to answer a question for him, and for his people's safety.

What secret did these walls hold?

He was about to find out. Timidly, he moved his hand against the small runic symbol in the middle of the door. It was shaped like a key, almost calling him to touch it. As he did, the door lit up, blood red in color.

Suddenly, small spirits appeared everywhere around him. They were multi colored, transparent and lit up periodically.

The twili man didn't know what was going on. Suddenly everything in the ruins was reacting to this symbol, the appearance of the walls changing even.

"What sorcery is this?" cried out two men at the same time.

The twili solider gasped, fear creeping into his heart as he saw the image ahead of him. As soon as the twili solider had shouted, a spirit appeared, saying the exact same words. The spirit was not like the other ones. It resembled another twili man, one that was noticeably older than then him. He had grey eyes and wore a cloak of the ancient twili ages long passed by.

The spirit couldn't see the living solider it seemed. It completely ignored him, his eyes only focused on the door in front of him. The spectral image touched the door again in a panic to get away from the spirits about to surround him. The solider was too shocked to move.

Suddenly, the door made a sound. It creaked on it's rusty hinges, swinging open to reveal a big room, the direct center of the ruins. Both the spirit and the solider ran through the door, both ignoring each other, trying to get away from the glowing spirits in the hallway.

As soon as they entered the central chamber, the door slammed shut, causing a sigh of relief from both the ghostly twili and the solider.

The room was dark, the only light coming from an opening in the ceiling and the twili solider's torch. The light from the ceiling proved to be the more interesting of the two. It was shining a bright light on some sort of alter. On the alter was a book, with strange and alien markings on the cover.

The twili solider and spectral image looked curiously at the book from a distance, both of them slowly approaching it.

"I'm sorry, but that's off limits."

Both the twili solider and spirit turned to where the voice had come from. Standing in the shadows was another spirit wearing a cloak of the ancient twili. However, this man's robe was much more decorated and colorful. It was mostly purple, with orange and black symbols of power on it's front. His sleeves had small little feathers of various colors on it. But most intimidating about this man, was his eyes. Huge orange, beady eyes, his pupils green and black. The twili solider was shocked at this man's appearance.

"You," said the twili spirit, in it's ghostly voice, "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember?" the man asked, "After all, the king sent me into even further exile."

"For good reason! If it weren't for your roguish acts, the twili wouldn't be banished like this!"

The twili solider looked closer at the purple robed man. His pale skin certainly didn't make him look like a twili. Captivated by the spirit's conversation, he continued to listen.

"I would think that my acts were for the greater good," he said, an evil smile on the purple robed man's face. "Otherwise, we would never have amounted to anything."

"Those fused shadows of yours only gave us exile from the goddesses, and nothing more!"

"The fused shadows are hardly my greatest creation."

The twili solider was amazed. "_This guy created the fused shadows?_" he thought.

The purple robed man went on. "No, the book right there… that is my ultimate work."

The old twili spirit was starting to get angry. "Well I'm here for it! The King demands it!"

The evil spirit laughed mocking the man, "Oh dear, it appears that he'll have to be disappointed. You see, your not leaving here alive."

"What! You wouldn't dare!"

"You've seen Wyrd and it's pages… your fate has been sealed."

A blinding light went over the room, a beam of power hitting the elder twili spirit, destroying it on the spot, sending his spirit into tiny pieces.

"Wyrd hands me your life…"

The twili solider turned around to face the mysterious voice and found himself suddenly face to face with another twili, his pale, crazed yellow eyes looking into his green eyes. The twili solider tried to draw his dagger on the nemesis, but another blinding light came forth from yellow eyed twili's hands, sending the twili solider flying across the room, the cold shroud of death grasping him.

**A/N: So that's the prologue. Don't know when Chapter 1 will be up. Reviews are welcome and appreiciated!**


	2. Twilit Dilemma

**A/N: Chapter 1 is here. Don't expect updates to come everyday like my first fic, but I happened to get this chapter up pretty quick. This is actually two chapters combined into one, mainly so the pace goes a little quicker. Don't expect them all to be this long.**

**And as always, reviews are welcome.**

Chapter 1: Twilit Dilemma

Link found himself in a much sweeter grasp than that of the solider that had unbeknownst to him, died.

Midna hugged Link tightly in her arms, a warm smile on her face. She had been gone on business for a few days, visiting other areas of twilight, trying to spread peace to the now feuding provinces. It seemed that the recent spread of troubles had everyone on edge, and every leader was at each other's throats.

"I missed you," she said looking into his deep sapphire eyes.

He smiled. She had only been gone a couple days, but to them, a couple of days apart were torture. He wrapped his arms around her waist, both making eye contact.

"So how did things go?" Link asked

"Terrible. They won't stop fighting you know, they're convinced that there is foul play involved," she then gave him her trademark mischievous grin, "The only foul play I can foresee is between you and me. Eee hee hee!"

He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, then said, "We'll have plenty of time for that later."

She pouted a little, making Link smile again at the cute expression.

"Aww, come on. Are you afraid of a little public display of affection?"

"Not at all," Link said, as he started to nuzzle the left side of her head.

Her smile returned. "That's more like it," she whispered into his ear.

"Ahem…"

Link and Midna both turned at the noise to their right. A dark haired twili girl stood, with big blue eyes.

"Honestly, you two are away for only a few days and I catch you already?"

"It's good to see you too Tirana," Midna said sarcastically.

Tirana stood there in black and blue robes that matched her hair and eyes. She had matured a lot in the past five years. She still was Midna's personal attendant, as she was Link's, but now her role was more like a babysitter's role. With Link and Midna both equally busy as King and Queen of Twilight, she watched over their twin children, Link and Erandur.

"Where are the kids Tirana?" Link questioned.

"Relax, they're asleep right now. I've come to take you to the council chambers. They say it's urgent."

Link and Midna both nodded and followed Tirana. They both knew what the council wanted to discuss. It was always the same thing.

"_The disappearances_."

For the past six months, there had been stories of twili's going missing, never to be seen again. It was strange enough that they were happening in the first place, but now the provinces of twilight were on edge with each other, making matters noticeably worse. They were at each other's throat, accusing the other as the cause of the disappearances. It had gotten so bad, that Midna decided that she herself should visit the heads of the provinces to try and bring peace to both sides.

Meanwhile, Link had figured out that a strange forest seemed to be in connection with the problems, and secretly sent a small force of soliders to deal with it. He had hoped to hear from them before Midna's return, so they could have something more to tell the impatient council.

As they approached the council chambers, a loud argument could be heard from inside the room.

"Don't they ever get tired of this?" Link asked.

"It's been five years, but it seems to me politics are still new to you," Midna said, smiling.

"I fear it will always be new to me," he said, shrugging off the comment, "I'm still a farm boy at heart,"

Tirana was about to open the door when it swung open in rage, an elder twili man stepping out, shouting back to the party he was leaving.

"You all are fools!" he shouted vehemently, "Such a plan is outrageous!"

The man turned and looked at Link and Midna, just now noticing they were there.

"Your majesty, could you please talk some sense into them?" he said, bowing his head in fealty.

"Only if you tell me what its about." said Midna. Link knew that he wasn't being addressed. The council only respected him for his skills in battle, not of mind.

"They want us to impose military force in the provinces!" he shouted angrily, "They want us to deploy troops to the provinces and to put up curfews and other restrictions on civilian rights!"

Midna sighed. She knew who was leading the rallying cry for this. She turned to Link and signaled for them to go.

As they entered the council chambers, the argument died down to a low whisper, all eyes on their King and Queen. Midna sat down in the chair that was at the head of the table, while Link decided to stand. No one dared make a move before she spoke.

"Well, let's skip the pleasantries," she said, her face serious, "What is this plan of military force I hear? Tell me the details Aicantar."

A large twili at the opposite end of the table stood up dressed in robes of grandeur with many colors on his sleeves.

"Now mi'lady," he began peacefully, his voice suave, "What makes you think I know the details?"

Link looked at him with a spiteful glance, as did Midna.

"It's hard to think that anyone but you would be as bold to contemplate such a plan," she said with a grim look.

"Forgive me," he said, his voice exuding with pleasantry, his jade eyes glowing softly, "I just thought that given the current situation, it would be best to use the power we wield."

"The power of fear?" Midna questioned. "All sending soliders would do is give the citizens a reason to panic. It would show that we aren't in control of the situation."

"Is that so different from now?" he asked. "Are we really in control? Besides, this would be a good way to show off the King's warriors."

The last sentence he spoke got a small, but noticeable rise out of Link. Midna was quick to defend him.

"A King who saved us all from a crazed madman. You would all be beasts under Zant's control, if you were even alive, if it wasn't for Link!"

Aicantar smiled, enjoying the small anger he drew from the two. "It seems that is all our great King is good for, deeds of the past. You see, my philosophy is, what have you done for me lately?"

The council broke into a violent argument, each taking Aicantar's or the King and Queen's side. Midna raised her voice for silence on both sides before she continued.

"Enough!" she shouted, turning her attention to Aicantar, "We will not be sending in the twilit militia to the provinces. All it will do is scare the citizens! I deny your motion!"

Aicantar's charm finally dissipated, his dislike of the Queen clearly showing.

"I think that you will find there is no other choice, mi'lady… these disappearances won't just stop happening because you want them too. Action must be taken."

"Then a different choice of action will be taken," said Link, surprising everyone in the room. As he got stares from everyone in the room, he boldly went on.

"I've already sent a small force to investigate the forest in connection with the disappearances, they should be returning soon."

The council broke out into harsh whispers, each one looking confused.

"And why weren't we told?" questioned Aicantar.

"When did I have to answer to you about military decisions? I was under the impression that I was given complete control of how to run the military, since it's apparently the only thing I'm good for."

The council started to quarrel amongst themselves again, this time it got even louder. Aicantar silenced them with a raised hand.

"My King," he said, a dark smile on his face, "You may act freely with most military operations. But, deployment of troops lies within our jurisdiction, with approval from the throne. Such a move without consulting us is…" he paused, savoring the next few words, "an abuse of power."

Midna had seen enough. She knew Link made a mistake, but Aicantar had already taken things way too far.

"Link was merely following his heart, which is more than I can say for you Aicantar! And it's a hell of a lot better than your stupid plan!"

Everyone in the room started to roar and squabble over the outburst.

"This council session is over!" Midna shouted out, as she got out of the chair and grabbed Link's hand, walking back the way they came, not noticing the sinister smile that appeared on Aicantar's face.

----------------------------

Midna and Link were standing on the opposite side of the room in their private chambers, both of them looking away from each other. Link knew he had done something stupid and hurt his and her credibility with the counsel. He swore to himself in his head.

Politics was something that even in five years, he never fully understood. Most of the time, Midna dealt with anything political. Link was left with control of the military, seeing as how gifted a fighter he was. He wasn't a savvy general, but he could help train the twili soliders with a blade, making them deadly on both the magical and physical fronts. Link thought he did the right thing by sending soliders to the forest, but it appeared he had violated some rule of politics, and sent the council into a frenzy.

Link knew he could be a great King, but simple mistakes and apparent 'abuses' of power made him look bad. Midna told him the throne's power wasn't always this limited, but after what happened with Zant, agreeing to the council's terms were the only way she was able to gain their trust after she came back through the mirror.

"I'm sorry," Link said, the first to break the silence. He turned around to see Midna still staring out the window into the twilight. Seeing that she wasn't going to say anything, he continued.

"Maybe I would just be better off not making decisions while you're not around. Maybe I should just stick to training soliders. It was my mistake."

Midna turned around to face him. He saw that she was still angry with him. He could tell just by the look in her eyes.

"What you did was stupid," she said bluntly, "You can never leave the council in the dark about anything, especially with Aicantar. Had I not been there today, he would have torn you to shreds."

Link looked down at the ground shamefully. She was right, he did something stupid, and there was no other way to put it.

"He had every right to tear me to shreds," Link said, still looking down at the ground. "I'm just a stupid ranch hand trying to play King."

Midna walked over to him, anger slowly leaving her eyes.

"No," she said, holding his chin up to force eye contact between his cobalt eyes and her amber eyes, "You're my stupid ranch hand, and ever so much more."

He smiled weakly at her, knowing he was partially forgiven.

"What Aicantar said about you is completely wrong," she said, warmly smiling at him, "You are still the Hero of Twilight, and no matter what you've done recently, he can't take that away. Saying it doesn't matter is a lie."

Link looked into her eyes, his affection for her swelling up. He wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her with all the his strength.

"I love you," he said warmly.

"I love you too," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

"You know," she said with a devilish smile, "We were in the middle of something before Tirana interrupted us."

Link gave her a quick grin. "I believe you're right," he said, as he started to nuzzle her forehead directly this time.

She giggled, her hands rubbing Link's back softly.

"I missed you too, you know." Link said as he rested his head on her forehead.

"Of course you did wolf boy," she teased, her hands continuing to rub his back, "We're meant for each other."

They then deeply kissed each other on the lips, the soft glow of twilight warmly covering their skin, a sign of their eternal love for each other.

----------------------------

That night, nightmares and demon's crept forth in Link's mind. He tossed and turned in sleep, haunting images surrounding his dreams…

He was alone. Somehow he had gotten back to Hyrule. He was in the world of light. He could tell just by the surrounding woodlands that he was back in Faron Woods. He could feel his feet were a little wet, and he noticed he was in the spring of the light spirit Faron. Suddenly the huge, monkey like, golden spirit appeared. It whispered a terrible warning.

"Do not trust those in Twilight!" It hissed, "They will bring shadow back to Hyrule!"

"What could you possibly mean Faron?" Link questioned. "Midna would never command an invasion of the world of light. Besides, the mirror is broken."

"Others in power, new, old and unknown, are finding ways to mix us again."

"Who?" questioned Link, wondering what he meant by 'power of new, old and unknown'

The light spirit abruptly disappeared, Link suddenly in a black void. He could see the village of Ordon in flames, the dying screams of men and women flowing through the night. He gasped in horror, as he saw all those he cared about slain in a violent heap.

"Ilia… Rusl… the children! What happened, what's going on?" he shouted.

Then, from the heap of bodies rose a man. He wore dark purple robes, and had wicked eyes of orange glaring into his.

"Their fate has been sealed," the man laughed darkly, "As has yours."

A blinding flash of light was headed in Link's direction. Suddenly, a small impish figure got in the way of the blast.

"Midna?!?"

----------------------------

Link woke up with a shout, his breathing heavy as a cold sweat was over his body. He looked to his right, to see Midna in her true form, sleeping peacefully.

"_It was all a dream_…" he thought, "_The same damned dream_."

As long as Link lived, he never understood why the goddesses chose to show possible precursors of evil to a man in his sleep. Dreams like these had now been haunting him for some time now, as had thoughts of the world he left behind.

To say that Link was entirely happy living with Midna as a King would be a lie. To say he regretted it however, would also be a lie. He loved her more than any man could love a woman. But those he left behind, his friends, his village, and all the citizens of Hyrule that looked up to him as their protector…

He missed them too.

For all they knew, Link was dead, and he just wished he could go to Hyrule one more time, to tell everyone he is fine, to try and give them peace, knowing he was happy. He couldn't imagine how those in his village would have reacted to his disappearance, nor did he want to. Rusl was strong, he could take it. Colin was growing stronger too, he was probably fine. But Ilia…

"_She's probably still grieving_," he thought sadly.

Ilia, was still Link's long childhood friend. He grew up thinking that he and she may one day be together, and that he would spend his live quietly with her in Ordon village. It wasn't until the twilight came to Hyrule that all came crashing down. Early on in Link's adventure, he fought for Ilia and the children. He was deeply saddened when he lost her memory. He flashbacked to the moment and remembered how hard it was…

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Link had just chased Rutela's spirit to the Graveyard of Kakariko as night turned to day. He was sitting in the graveyard of the long passed King of the Zora tribe, starring into sky, admiring the sunrise. Telma had tried to give some small sense of hope that she would regain her memory, but it wasn't enough to remove the sad feeling. The familiar sight of Midna popping out of his shadow made him look away from the sunrise.

"What are doing?" she questioned impatiently, "We only have one more fused shadow piece left to find!"

He looked away from her, slightly annoyed. Back then, things weren't exactly, "friendly" between him and his imp companion, although it was certainly better than when they first started. She continued to pester him though.

"C'mon, let's hurry now that you have that Zora armor."

"Midna," he said, holding back his anger, "I'm a little upset right now, OK?"

"Is it over the blonde?" she questioned

Link looked away from Midna.

"Eee hee hee, I knew it!" she teased.

Link looked back at her, his eyes clearly showing anger at her lack of sympathy. What happened next though, Link never would have imagined happening.

She moved over to him, and rested her hand on his shoulder apprehensivly.

"Look…" she said awkwardly, not really used to actually talking to him in a friendly tone of voice. "I know it's hard on you, but you have to keep moving on. Once this is all over, then you can worry about the girl."

Link looked onwards to the sky, still keeping silence.

"Hey," she said getting in front of his face, "I also want you to know that… I'm thankful you're helping me. You've really done a great job. It'd be a shame to not finish it."

Link was shocked at her words. Not only had she tried to comfort him, but she was actually thanking him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes really," she said. "Now, can we please get going? That fused shadow isn't going to just come to us you know."

Link got up and nodded, somehow feeling better by Midna's words. He donned the Zora armor and iron boots, going down to the bottom of the waterway in the graveyard, and blasted the rock that would take him to Lake Hylia and the underwater temple.

----------------------------

Link returned from his flashback when he felt himself being kicked in the back.

"Go back to sleep," Midna said tiredly, eyes closed, "Your hogging the covers sitting like that."

He smiled at her, the flashback a reminder of how far they had come in their relationship. He lied back down, and tried to go back to sleep, hoping the dream wouldn't revisit him.

----------------------------

Back in Hyrule, Link's suspicions were dead on. The pale moonlight glistened on the waters of the spirits spring as Ilia sat in the water, admiring the beautiful effect that was created by nature.

"_I wish you were here_," she thought, the sadness still creeping in her heart.

When word first got out five years ago that Link was gone, everyone in Ordon Village wept. It was a day of sadness, of grief for they're lost resident and hero. It was overshadowed by the war over Hyrule that took place only a few days later, but it still was something that most people in Ordon never forgot. Least of all Ilia.

She knew that Link had changed after his adventure, and their last conversation was not a peaceful one. She had said some things that she now regretted. But now she knew she would never get the chance to apologize.

Sighing, she got up and began to leave the spring.

"Wait…"

Ilia turned around, frightened at the voice. It was ethereal, almost god-like.

"Do not be afraid, child of the light."

She looked around, she still saw nothing.

Then she looked down at her feet. The water was glowing more so than normal. The moonlight wasn't causing it either. A golden light consumed the spring now, as a tiny drop of water spread a ripple through the spring. Ilia gasped at what she saw next.

A small sphere of pure light was slowly rising from the water, stopping a few feet in the air. The light spread outwards, as a huge, goat like, golden creature began to form in the spring.

"I am Ordona, one of four light spirits in Hyrule," it said very slowly.

She was still stunned by this sudden appearance of a holy entity. She didn't know what to do.

"You wish to know of the hero chosen by the goddess's fate?"

Ilia, too stunned to talk, slowly nodded her head, assuming it meant Link.

"He is fine, child. He lives happily in the plane parallel to this one."

She looked down, still lost for words.

"_Link… is_... _OK?_" she thought. She was a little happy. But she still longed to see him.

"But…" the spirit said, "This world may need him and the sacred blade he wields again. We need a way to find him. Only one person can do so."

"Who?" she asked, speaking for the first time.

"You," the spirit said, trying to smile the best it could. "You are the one who knows him best in this world, and you can find him again."

"With all due respect," Ilia began, "I'm just a farm girl. Besides… I don't think I know Link as well as you think."

"The hero chosen by the goddess's was but a farm boy when he started out… you can change too. While he may have been changed since his adventure first began… you can still find him."

"How?" she asked desperately.

"Seek the Princess of Light, as she was the second closest to Link on his adventure."

"Princess Zelda?" she asked quizzically.

"Yes. From there, all you must do is speak a single word in regard to Link, and she will offer her assistance."

"I don't get it," she said, "how will a single word get the Princess's attention?"

"The word I will tell you has great importance to both the one you seek and Hyrule's princess. And it should tell her where Link is."

"What do I have to say?" she asked, a new determination in her face. She was given a chance to find Link again, and she wouldn't let it slip away. The spirit paused a second, almost hesitating.

"Say the word… Twilight"

The light spirit vanished as quick as it came, leaving Ilia with a look of confusion on her face. For some reason, it sounded vaguly familiar. As she walked home from the spring, she still was wondering what this word could possibly mean to the Princess.

"_Twilight_…"

----------------------------

Aicantar stood at the window of his chambers in the Twilight Palace, looking into the clouds of the twilit sky, reminiscing of the events that took place earlier that day.

"How can the council possibly support them?" he questioned in his head.

He knew he had angered them both. And he was glad. Someone had to take action against such a weak King. Aicantar remembered every single one of the King's follies. He made quite a few. But there was one that always stuck out in Aicantar's mind, the one that made him never be able to forgive his King, to forgive Link.

"_My brother_," he thought, his face quickly showing anger.

It was two years ago, when the King decided to send out the military to stop a rouge group on the outskirts of Twilight, something seen very rarely in the mostly peaceful realm. He had the council's support, and they went with his plan to go and stop this threat before they moved into the countryside and caused damage to the innocent civilians. Of course, this was before Aicantar was a council member. He would have never approved.

He would never approved, because Aicantar's brother was a solider under the King's command, one of his elite trained specialists. He was one of the ones that were sent on that mission, to eradicate the group. Little did they know however, there was a traitor in the group sent by the King. The traitor led the twili soliders into an ambush, and his brother was killed.

"_If it wasn't for the King's carelessness, he would still be alive!_" Aicantar thought violently. "_He should have been able to spot a traitor in his ranks!_"

It was only a few days later that the King himself went ahead and fought and slain the rouge group, killing the traitor in the process. One would think that it would make Aicantar more at ease about it, knowing that the traitor was dead.

But it only fueled his anger and hatred towards his King.

"_If he could have dealt with them so easily, what was the point of sending soliders?_" he thought.

Still… as much as he hated Link, he absolutely despised Midna. She was always there to bail him out of any jam he was in, like today. She held his hand through politics, and was there to solve any mess he could make. It sickened him.

"_The throne is meant for those who are strong of mind, not of heart,"_ he thought to himself, turning away from the window.

Three months later, Aicantar was elected to the council. And ever since then, he had managed to make the life of the King and Queen difficult, while still managing to stay in good favor with his fellow council members. He was satisfied for the most part, he could now have a say on all matters in the Kingdom.

But now, a new boldness filled his heart. He wanted to send those troops to the provinces not for safety, but for his own selfish means. He could feel a change coming in the wind, a change that could make all his dreams come true. And with it, he could finally avenge his brother's death.

"Let them have their love for each other," he said aloud, a dark grin on his face, "so long as I have the throne."


	3. New Adventures

**A/N: Ah, another chapter. There's a huge inside joke in this particular chapter, one that you can understand by going on youtube and searching, 'Midna says'. And yes, eventually I will not update this back to back. But enough about that.**

Chapter 2: New Adventures

When Link woke up the next morning, he was mostly silent, pondering over his latest dream. Ever since his travels through time, he always regarded his dreams a lot higher than he used to. When Midna woke up, she noticed that something was on his mind, and asked him about it.

"What's wrong Link?" she asked, both of them still in bed.

He turned around to face her, his face grave.

"It was my dreams again … more of a nightmare really."

Midna looked at him coyly. "But, it's just a dream."

Link shook his head slightly, turning his back to her again. "No, it's so realistic. It was the same kind of dream I had when…" he stopped. He had never shared his dreams about the beast that managed to send him through time, or this new one for fear of her reaction. She also only knew a little bit about how he got back to twilight, but certain details, such as Midna's future son's sacrificing themselves for Link, he left out for obvious reasons.

She could tell he was hiding something.

"Link," she said as she draped her arms around his shoulders, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

He weakly smiled. "I haven't had a dream like that since I dreamed of being attacked by the red eyed beast that sent me into the future."

"You actually… foresaw that?" she questioned, concerned.

He nodded his head, indicating yes.

"In my dream… my new one… I was somehow back in Hyrule. I noticed I was in Faron Woods, in the spirits spring. Faron came to me then… said that people in twilight were trying to mix the two worlds again." He went against telling her his ominous warning to not trust those around him. Even if he would always trust Midna, he didn't want to risk her trust.

"But that's impossible," Midna interrupted, "I broke the mirror. It's the only way to Hyrule."

"That's what I said… but then again, I'm here, and the mirror was broken."

"It's not everyday that someone gets to wish upon the triforce."

Link nodded. He wasn't really lying to her when he said that was how he got back. He knew the goddesses had to be involved somehow.

"Then, Faron disappeared, and I was in Ordon village. Everyone around me was… dying. They were all violently slain, in a heap."

He turned around to face her.

"And then, a man rose from the bodies. I could feel incredible power coming from him."

"You could feel his power?" she questioned, concerned.

"More or less so, yes. Then… it all happened so fast. I saw a blast of light heading towards me, but instead of waking up…"

An eerie silence echoed across the room.

"Well, spill it!" she said.

Link looked up into her eyes. "I saw you come in front of the blast to protect me, only you were an imp again. Then I woke up."

She looked away from him. Link knew what he said wasn't exactly comforting knowing he foresaw other things like this.

In his time spent with Midna over the years, he found out that despite his affection for her cute impish figure of old, she absolutely hated it.

"It's a reminder of the horrors I went through with Zant." She would remind him whenever it was a topic of discussion.

Now, after living with her in her true form for a couple years, he understood why she hated it. It was so different from how she normally looked for all her life. And to her, it wasn't nearly as attractive as her regular form, although Link didn't care one way or the other.

"_How would you feel if you woke up and found yourself a Deku Scrub?_" Link thought to himself to help him sympathize for her ordeal.

She turned back to face him again.

"I hope that it just stays a dream," she said slightly annoyed.

"You should know as well as anybody that I hope the same thing. I hate harbingers to come to me when I could be pleasantly sleeping."

She stood up and sighed wistfully as she put on her black cloak and her gold tiara.

"Hurry up and get dressed, we need to get going. We can talk about the dream later."

Link threw on his green hero tunic, over his white undershirt. It was his only attire that he had besides the garments the twili provided for him as King, but he felt out of place wearing such fancy clothes. He looked over at Midna to see that she was still upset over what Link had told her.

"_I know_," he silently thought as he left the room. "_I hope so too_."

----------------------------------

Link walked out to the small room that connected the private chambers to the rest of the palace. Tirana was waiting for him, with two small children that looked odd, yet cute, in her arms. Link smiled at them.

"How are you today?" he asked childishly as he rubbed the hair of his two kids.

"Uncooperative," Tirana answered for him, "I don't know what it is, but these kids of yours just don't listen to me."

"I'm sure that I wouldn't be opposed to having to look after them," Link said eagerly. He had been a little devastated when he found out that it was a twili custom for the King and Queen to leave their children in the care of another for most of the day when the children pasted the age of two. Both Link and Erandur were three.

At the time when he first found out that Midna was pregnant, he really wasn't sure what to do. He knew nothing of being a father, not to mention he didn't know how his kids would turn out. He was a Hylian and she was a Twili, it seemed unnatural for a being of light and shadow to conceive. But when they came, they both turned out to be fine and normal, although they looked a little different from most twili children.

"Sorry, you know the rules," she said, "Besides, these little guys liven up my day tenfold."

Link nodded, agreeing with her. He could see how they would make life interesting.

"Tirana," Link asked, "What's your philosophy on dreams?"

Her eyes looked up at the ceiling, indicating she was pondering what he had asked. She was about to answer when she saw Midna coming out into the small room, her eyes distinctly telling Tirana a subliminal message.

_Leave._

"Well, I best be off," Tirana said as she left with the kids in tow. Link looked confused as she left the room to the door to the right.

"But…you…" Link stammered. He understood when he felt Midna's arms around his shoulders, her body pressed against his back.

"What was that about?" she asked playfully, a wry smile on her face.

"It seems your feeling better about what I told you," said Link

"It was just a dream, I can't let it get to me," she paused, her eyes looking up, "And I also think I may have an idea about how you could figure out your dream."

"Oh really?" Link asked, turning his head around to see her head on his shoulder. "And what would that be?"

She hummed for a second, teasing his curiosity. "I think I'll tell you later," she said with a wink as left through the door to the left, leaving Link dumbfounded yet again as he followed her.

----------------------------------

Back in the room Tirana went into, she was peering through the crack in the door, watching the exchange.

"I wonder who the man in their relationship is?" she quietly asked herself. The twins who were both playing on the floor both turned their heads in her direction.

"Momma?" they asked unknowingly in their child-like voice, causing Tirana to roar with laughter.

----------------------------------

Link and Midna had a rough day, dealing with the fallout from Link's hasty decision to send troops without the council's consent. Aicantar almost managed to get an actual fist fight started between council members upon bringing up if the troops would ever return, something that as serious as it would have been, Link probably also though it would have been funny to watch.

This in addition to the provinces feuding did not help matters. And with no word from the soliders for two weeks now, Link assumed that they had died or gotten lost. Not exactly an ideal situation he liked.

The first good news of the day came from Midna at dinner. They dined on a rare twilight bird that resembled chicken, something Link learned Midna was quite fond of in the five years he spent with her.

"Do you remember what I said about how you could interpret your dreams?" she asked from across the table.

"Yes," Link replied as he salted his meal, "I also remember that you were keen to not say anything about it."

She daintily nibbled at her food, swallowing before she responded. "I have an old friend," she said, "before I was truly royalty that is very powerful in divination magic."

Link frowned at her. "You know I really don't believe in that kind of stuff. I never did like that fortune teller in Hyrule Market if you remember."

"You'll also remember that the few times we went there she was accurate."

Link shrugged off the remark. "I'm not comfortable with seeing my future."

"Link," Midna said, her face growing serious, "Our whole journey together was practically like seeing the future. You were the hero of destiny, the light spirits themselves told you."

Link was silent. She had a valid point. He was a pawn of fate it seemed.

"Plus, this isn't some cheap two bit fortune you'll get," she continued, "This is real magic. The twili weren't banished for nothing you know."

Link sighed, knowing she told the truth and just wanted him to be happy. "Okay," he said reluctantly, "Where can I find this friend of yours?"

She smiled at him, something clearly amusing her. "Well, as far as I know, he lives in the city outside the palace."

"Midna," Link began, "That will never work. You know as well as anyone that I can't go out into public like that, much less leave the palace for such a thing. What will the people think?"

"I'm well aware that it won't do the citizens well to see the King out in public to get his fortune told, even if this guy's the real deal." She paused, snickering a little. "That's why I think you would have to go… incognito."

"What do you mean?" Link asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Midna snapped her fingers and a small black and orange crystal popped up in her hands.

"Oh no," Link said shaking his head, "How would that be any better at all?"

She laughed at his disinterest. "Well, you could get you out of the palace. From there, you would just… have to stay hidden."

"And when this guy sees the sacred beast of prophecy at his doorstep, then what?"

She grinned at him, "Oh, you can just let me handle that. All you have to do is get there, I promise."

Link gulped ever so slightly. Whenever she left him in the dark about things, they didn't always turn out so great.

----------------------------------

Ilia woke up early the next morning, still stunned by what she was told last night.

"_Link is alive, but in another realm_…"

She really didn't know what to think. She did however, realize that she would need to find a weapon of some sort if she was to leave Ordon Village for Hyrule Castle. Knowing this, she left for Rusl's house first thing in the morning to see if the smith had a sword or weapon she could borrow. When she got there, she was surprised to see Rusl and his son Colin sparring. They both paused when they saw Ilia coming.

"Ilia?" Rusl asked slightly confused, "What are you doing up at this hour?"

"I've come to ask a favor," she replied, "And I'd prefer if it was kept a private matter."

Rusl looked at her a little odd, but decided not to question her motives. "Come inside," he said as he gestured her to follow him.

"How are you Ilia?" Colin asked as they went up the path to Rusl's abode.

"Fine for the most part, how about you?" she asked politely.

"Great! I can beat my dad with a sword pretty easily now… just don't tell him I said that."

She laughed. It was true, Colin had really grown up in the past five years. He was already becoming a budding warrior when he was just twelve. Now, he was more or less the same age as Link when he first started his journey.

"_A journey that I never understood_," she thought to herself.

When they got to the house, they entered quietly so they would not disturb Uli, Rusl's wife.

"Now," Rusl said quietly, "What is this about Ilia?"

"I can't go into details," she began, "but I need to borrow a weapon of some sort, and I was wondering if I you had one."

Rusl looked at her disapprovingly. "You know your father would never approve of this."

"You should also know I'm not a teenager anymore. I'm twenty two," Ilia spoke defensively.

Rusl gave her a small smile. "You'll have to forgive me. You still look as young as a teenager." He spoke with an elderly manner.

Ilia blushed slightly at the compliment as Rusl turned around and started foraging through a chest behind him. She was amazed at all the desultory items that were in the chest of the smith, imaging how hard it must be to keep track off everything in such a mess. Finally, Rusl got up with what he looked for in his hands.

"You can use this if you want," he said as he put a small bow in one of her hands, a quiver full of arrows in the other. It looked like it was crafted out of the trees of Ordon judging by the slight scent permeating from the weapon. She bowed her head in respect at Rusl's gift. She didn't know how to use it well, but she told herself she would learn.

"Excuse me," Colin said as he spoke up, "but could I go with her father?"

"Son, you're a grown man in my eyes. You can do as you please, although I'm sure the mayor won't be very happy to hear you both left so suddenly."

Colin nodded his head in appreciation of his father's kind words. They both exited the house with Colin closing the door behind him, and Ilia wondering why Colin wanted to go with her.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Your going to look for Link, aren't you?"

Ilia gasped slightly. "How did you know that?" she questioned.

Colin smiled. "Why else would you suddenly leave your home and everyone else behind? I don't know what you're planning or how you know where Link is, but I'd love to see Link again."

She smiled at the young boy's adventurous spirit and intuitive guess.

"Besides," he continued, "You're going to need protection until you learn to use that bow properly."

"I guess that's true. We better get going before the town starts to wake up," she said as she noticed the sun starting to come into full view. Colin nodded his head in agreement as they walked along the dusty path out of Ordon Village, the morning dew welcoming a fresh scent of adventure.

**A/N: Cheekaaan! - (It's the inside joke)**


	4. The Divination Master

**A/N: Chapter 4 is up. Also, there is something you need to remember. This takes place quite a few years after my first fic, so everyone is considerably older. It's not really important so much for Link and Midna, but mainly for Colin. One of my reviewers mentioned something about this, and according to the unofficial TP timeline, Colin was about 8 or 10 in TP. It's been about 8 years since then for this fic, so I imagine he is about 16-18 now.**

**Anyways, on with the story!**

Chapter 3: The Divination Master

Link awoke the next morning, eagerly wanting to get this over with. He had let Midna convince him into going as a wolf so she could teleport him out of the palace unseen to find this friend of hers. That and trying to get around the city around the palace was enough to get Link upset.

"_The true beauty of the Twilight Realm_," he thought as he remembered the magnificent city.

When Zant took over the twilight realm with Ganon's power, he effectively ruined all the twili had built up in their forced exile. The provinces were no longer a part of society, and the capital city was reduced to the palace. He was only focused on the control of the world of light.

While when Midna was the ruler, the twilight was a marvelous place. The capital city was complete and whole, and the provinces were reborn.

Link had asked her how so much had changed in just a few years, trying to imagine how so much could get done in such a short time span. The answer he found, was the most stunning of all.

The twili royal family had forever been blessed with magical abilities, much of them going to the ruler. As such, the ruler could actually _shape_ the twilight in any way fit with their magic, to an extent. In a way, it was much like the how the triforce was balanced. If a kind and gracious ruler was in power, the twili would have a full plane of existence, with more than enough space to satisfy them. If however, a false or corrupt ruler ruled the twilight, the twilight was an abysmal barren land, with hardly any space for living.

Link, being a light dweller, was passed on and not given any of this strange power of Midna's. It did prove however, that in her true form, she was an extremely powerful individual, albeit not strong enough to stop Ganondorf and his magic.

When she woke up, she reviewed their plan.

"I'll teleport you out of here to the city, "she said, "I don't know exactly where he is, so it will be your job to find him. Once you find him though, things should pan out from there."

Link sighed anxiously. He just wanted this to be over with. "I'm ready anytime you are," Link grumbled.

"Don't be so negative," she replied as she gave him a quick kiss, "The sooner we can get passed this, the better. I'll cover for you while you're gone."

She snapped her fingers again as the shadow crystal appeared in her hands. "You ready?" she asked.

"As I'll ever be," he said with a groan.

Link felt his body quickly transform as Midna used the shadow crystal's magic, his legs and joints transforming into wolf limbs, his body growing furry again. When it was finally over, he was on the ground on all fours, gently wagging his tail. Midna looked over him, smiling at the memories his wolf form brought her.

"Aw," she giggled as she bent down to his level, scratching behind his new wolf ears, "You're a good boy aren't you?"

Link gave her a small, frustrated growl at her playful nature.

"_Typical Midna_," he thought to himself

"OK, I can see you want to get going," she said, "But be warned, if you're seen, things will get complicated."

He knew the consequences all to well. Despite it's widespread acceptance in the twili culture, not all the twili believed in the laurels of the sacred beast, so it would be best not to risk being seen by the few doubters.

He nodded his head as a signal that he was ready, and he could feel the same fleeting feeling come over him as he teleported through the twilight.

---------------------------------

Ilia and Colin were in Faron Woods by the spirit's spring. They both had decided to take a small break from their travels under the noontide sun. After a couple minutes of rest, their feet resting in the water, Colin could no longer keep his questions at bay.

"Ilia," he began excitement in his voice, "How do you know where Link is? Do you know where to find him?"

She squinted a little, trying to think what she could say so he would believe her.

"Well," she began slowly, "I was… contacted by a light spirit."

"A light spirit?" Colin questioned, "What's that?"

"To be honest, I have no idea," she chuckled, "But I know I can trust it."

Colin gazed onwards, waiting for her to continue.

"Anyways… it told me that Link was in another realm, and that this world needed him again and I was the only one that can find him." She laughed in her head at how ridiculous it was for her to be explaining something she didn't even have a clue about.

"Well, do we know where to start?" he asked.

"The spirit told me to seek 'the princess of light'. I assumed it meant Princess Zelda."

"You mean were going to have to talk to Princess Zelda?" Colin asked, shocked.

Ilia nodded her head, not sharing Colin's enthusiasm in the least.

"Wow," Colin whispered.

"Doesn't it worry you a little Colin?" Ilia burst out.

"What do you mean?" he asked, curious.

"I mean…" she slowly stopped, not wanting to say something she would regret. She sighed as she continued. "I mean, doesn't it worry you how little we knew about what he did? We all knew he and Zelda knew each other, but the spirit said that she 'was the second closest to him' on that adventure."

Colin gave her a funny look. "Second closest? You'd imagine she would be the closest, considering she's the princess of Hyrule."

Ilia pondered this, now comprehending the meaning of the spirits words.

"_The second closest_," she thought silently, "_If Princess Zelda was second, then who was first?_"

She shook her head, closing her train of thought. "C'mon. It's still a couple days journey from Hyrule Castle, and we need to get going."

Colin got up off the ground, agreeing with her. They restocked their canteens using the water from the spirits spring, gathered up their provisions, and headed onwards.

---------------------------------

Link felt his body come together again in wolf form in a dark ally of the twilight capital city, Irael. He was told it was named after the greatest warrior of the twili of the ancient times, before they were banished.

Irael was a young twili boy around the age of 14 when he became a legend. A great monster had taken residence in the greatest waterway of Hyrule, the future Zora's domain, poisoning the water with the creatures evil. Irael went on a pilgramige, learning twili secrets, charting many maps and lands that were now part of Hyrule. By the time he got to fight the creature, he was a true warrior, and was able to slay the beast with ease, returning Hyrule to peace. Afterwards though, he fell to a dark twili interloper, named Fa'schirr. He forced Irael to be his servant, and controlled his mind, ending the young warrior's heroic tale.

Link yawned doggishly upon thinking back on Midna's history lessons. He always was bored silly whenever she told him excerpts of the twili's past, never really paying attention. However, this particular story seemed to stick out in his mind for some reason, and he always remembered it the few times he made his way into the capital city.

Link looked around, examining his surroundings. Judging by the activity outside the ally, he seemed to be in the eastern area of the city. He remembered Midna told him that the city was designed much like Hyrule Castle Town based on her projections.

"_Now to find this guy without being seen_…" he thought..

Spying a nearby pile of boxes, Link jumped from box to box, eventually reaching the roof of the nearest building. From here, he could see the twili commoners going about their business, much like how Hyrule Castle town had been when Link went there. He was still mostly overwhelmed by large crowds of people, and thanked the godesses that he didn't go out often, especially like this.

Waiting for the perfect moment, he leaped from building to building, taking care to make sure no twili eyes looked up at the wrong time. He finally had made his way on top of one of the buildings in the center of the town square. He looked around, searching for a place to go when he saw something that made him jump back a little.

A single twili man was in the dead center of town, looking straight into Link's eyes. He wore strange robes that Link had never seen on most twili, and had a small chain around his neck. However, his strangest trait was his wild, messy, vibrant green hair. The twili smiled at him, almost knowing that he would be there. He signaled to Link with a wave of his hand.

"_I guess that's my guy_," Link thought to himself.

The stranger was particularly hard to follow, his path often making Link jump across difficult gaps to get from place to place. He was heading to the southern area of the city, where most of the shops were set up. He found him easy to spot in the crowd with his bright hair. That, and it seemed that most of the other twili avoided him, steering clear of him when they crossed paths. It seemed the stranger had reached his destination, going inside a building, holding the door agape for Link to jump through. Making sure people weren't looking, Link jumped off the roof of a building and through the open door.

Link landed on all fours forcefully, his knees buckling slightly. The room he landed in had a strong aroma of burnt plants and contained furniture made of wood. The room was square in shape, and was colored dark red. In the center of the room lay a small circular table, draped in white cloth, two chairs on both ends. In the center of the table lay a crystal ball of some sort, an eerie glow surrounding it.

"_How typical_," he snorted.

Suddenly he felt his body start to change, and he quickly found himself standing on his own two feet, his body returned to normal. Link turned around, surprised to see the green haired man holding the shadow crystal in his hand, a smirk on his features.

"I thought Midna said she didn't know where you were," Link said intrigued.

He continued to smile at him. "One doesn't need to know where someone is to transport objects like this," he said, his voice echoing with a rather eccentric tone to it.

"Also, how did you know where I was?"

"Wouldn't be much of a psychic if I couldn't foresee the future."

He went back and closed the door behind them so he and Link could have privacy.

"Now," he began as he sat down in the wooden chair at the end of the circular table, "What do I owe the pleasure of the King's company?"

"Well," Link stated, "Midna tells me you can help me with my dreams."

He smirked again. "Ah, yes. How is Midna doing these days?" he asked politely.

"You know, most people don't call her by her name without 'Queen' before it. What makes you special?"

"To me, she will always be Midna first, my queen second," he paused, taking a hard look at Link, "You of all people should understand that."

Link immediately understood. "So, that's how you know her?"

"Yes. We grew up as kids together despite her royal roots. Soon it became more than that though, and things were great." He looked wistfully into the distance, pausing for a time, "But then, she was named to be heir to the throne, Princess of the Twili, and my… status got in the way of anything from there."

"I see," Link said, a small pang of jealousy creeping in his heart.

The twili noticed this, and smiled.

"There's no reason to feel that way my King. Midna chose you even though you're a light dweller, and ranch hand if I'm not mistaken, which speaks volumes for your relationship."

The man spoke the truth, and Link was oddly satisfied with his rebuttal.

"What was your name again?" Link asked.

"Forgive me, where are my manners?" he said, the eccentric tone coming again, "I am Arvas Drevan, dream-reader, fortune teller extraordinaire! … But you may call me Arvas."

Link chuckled at the twili's mannerisms. He wondered why Midna actually _liked_ this guy at one point with this ego.

"Now," he began, indicating Link to sit across from him, "let's begin, shall we?"

Link did as he suggested, sitting down across from him, looking at the glowing crystal ball.

"Oh, you can just forget about that thing," he said grinning wryly, "It's just for show. Anyone who says otherwise is a fake."

Link was surprised, but he was actually beginning to like him too. Something about him made him hard to dislike.

"So, tell me what happens in this 'dream' of yours, and I use the term dream loosely."

Link looked at him, puzzled. "Loosely? Why?"

"In cases such as yours," he began, "one must consider all the events in the dream as things that will happen, or at least as things the dreamer wants to happen, even secretly."

Link laughed as he remembered his dream. "I don't think I want anything to do with this dream."

Arvas looked at him grimly. "Maybe not all parts, but there could be a single part within the dream that perhaps you long for."

Link was starting to get annoyed now. This wasn't going to go anywhere soon, unless he told him about the dream.

Link sighed as he began. "In my dream, I start out in the world of light, in a forest known as the Faron Woods. One of the guardian deities of Hyrule, Faron tells me that those within the twilight are trying to merge the two lands together again."

A pause broke over the room. "What else does he say to you?" Arvas asked.

"Huh?" Link questioned.

"If there is something that you do not share with me, then I cannot help you."

Link grumbled under his breath as he told Arvas what he didn't tell Midna. "He also said not to trust anyone in twilight… that those in 'power of new, old, and unknown' are at work."

"I see. I understand why you didn't share this with Midna."

Link looked up in surprise. "Reading my mind?" he asked.

Arvas smiled. "What else?" he questioned, "Please, continue. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise by simply looking in your head."

"Then the dream gets darker… more evil. I'm surrounded by black, just pure darkness. I see people I cared for in the world of light, brutally slain in a heap of bloody bodies," Link shook as he spoke, not making eye contact.

"Then, an odd man comes forth from the bodies…"

"What does he look like?" Arvas asked.

Link looked at him, suddenly a little uneasy. "He wears purple, with strange markings on his robes. But his eyes… they aren't natural. His iris is green, but the rest of his eyes… are orange."

Arvas's eyes flickered slightly, like something about this disturbed him. However, he nodded, indicating he wouldn't interrupt Link.

"The man speaks. He says 'their fate has been sealed, as has yours.' Then, I see a blast of light come at me… and then," Link struggled with the last part, "Midna comes in front of the blast, to protect me, but she's…not…"

"In her true form," Arvas said, "I know of it, and what happened to her."

The room went silent, neither one of them speaking for some time. Finally, Arvas broke the silence.

"Your dream, is nothing short, of a conundrum. It's definitely a precursor, and some part of it will happen, no matter what. I do not think I alone can help you."

"What?" Link asked, furious.

"But I do know what can," he said with a weak smile. Link slowly listened in, anxiously waiting what Arvas had to say.

"It is said in my profession and in ancient myth," he started, "that there is… a book of sorts, an ancient twili artifact, which can read a persons fate. It is the last known artifact of the banishing age, and could very well be what you're looking for."

"What's it called?" Link asked.

"The Book of Wyrd," he said with an ominous ring.

"Why would I look for it though?"

"It is said that whoever possesses it, can see and change their future or fate, as well as the fate of those close to the wielders heart," Arvas paused, lowering his head, whispering the next few words.

"It was also said to be written and enchanted by none other than Fa'schirr himself."

Link mulled the name over in his mind. Why did it sound familiar to him?

Then it hit him. "_The story of Irael_," he thought.

"Who is Fa'schirr?" Link questioned, wanting to know more of this individual.

"He… was the greatest, and most powerful interloper the twili ever knew. He and a few others studied magic that is far more powerful than any around today. However," Arvas stopped mid sentence.

"However, he was evil, and was therefore punished for it. The King of the age condemned Fa'schirr to death. The book, interestingly enough, was a key component of stopping Fa'schirr. It gained self awareness, despising Fa'schirr's evil intentions, and told the King where to find Fa'schirr and his men."

"Wait," Link said in disbelief. "You're telling me a _book _was able to talk to the King?"

"This book isn't just a book my King," Arvas said forcefully, "Fa'schirr's magic made the book a supremely powerful artifact, stronger than anything we will ever see in our lifetime, I assure you!"

Link looked at him strangely, wondering why Arvas suddenly got angry.

Arvas sighed before he went on. "However, after Fa'schirr was gone, the book fell into the hands of another. I forget his name, but he laid claim to the book, stealing it from the King, managing to override the book's self aware state, and locked himself away in a temple, studying its secrets. Ever since then, no one has seen the book."

Link pieced the information together, trying to absorb the new history he had just learned.

"So, I'm betting you think that the book is most likely in the temple?"

Arvas nodded. "Where this temple is, I haven't a clue. But it would surely be there."

Link sighed heavily, now knowing that his peaceful life with Midna was going to be put on hold. He knew it would be quixotic to think that things would stay perfect, but he never though he would have to something quite like this ever again.

"Link," Arvas said, "If you can regain the book, then you will be able to figure out your dreams, and prevent it. I already told you that your dream is a precursor. Only the book can stop the dream."

Link eyed him closely. "How can I be sure you are trustworthy?" he asked.

"You can't," Arvas said, "But in all honesty, you also can't afford not to trust me."

Link had to agree. Besides, he had willingly helped him, and Midna trusted him enough. His word passed Link's inspection.

"Thank you for your help," Link said as he got up to leave.

"Wait," Arvas said, "I feel… that you shouldn't tell Midna about the book."

"Why is that?" Link questioned.

"The dream. It's too risky, not to mention Midna wouldn't know anything I wouldn't know."

"Then what do I tell her? That I'm just leaving?"

"No," Arvas sighed, "You'll have to tell her that this is a serious matter that is between me and you, for her own safety."

Link didn't like this at all. "I tell Midna everything," he said vehemently, "And I will tell her about this."

"Even at the risk of losing her?" Arvas asked, which got a noticeable rise out of Link. "It's going to be dangerous, and if you tell her what you plan on doing, she'll want to come with you."

Link really hated the hard place he was in right now. Arvas made a lot of sense, but it pained him to admit it. And he knew that he would never risk Midna's life over something, not when he could prevent it.

"OK," Link said begrudgingly, "I won't say a word to her."

"You are a wise man Link," Arvas said smiling pleasantly, "I wish you luck."

They shook each others hand, with Arvas transforming Link into a wolf and sending him back to the castle, the shadow crystal not far behind.

---------------------------------

**A/N: Yeah, I know it ends rather abrubtly, but I can't think of anything else to end on. Reviews are welcome, and so far, have been great like last time!**


	5. Bound to the Shadows

**A/N: Chapter 4 (5 if you count the prologue) is here for your viewing pleasure. This chapter is a little shorter than the others, but it will do.**

**I'd also like to thank the anonymous reviews, mainly cause I can't send replies to them. It's appreiciated guys!**

Chapter 4: Bound to the Shadows

Link returned from his visit with Arvas with Arvas's magic taking Link to his and Midna's private chambers. He shook his furry body, as if trying to rid himself of the uncomfortable tingling feeling traveling through twilight gave him.

He noticed that he was in the room, alone, with the shadow crystal no where in sight. Link couldn't tell what time it could have been, with no sun or moon to guide him, but he knew he had only been an hour or two, at most. Midna would not be back for some time, and running around the palace to look for her so he could change back wasn't exactly an ideal plan. Link hopped on the bed, circling around three times, before he lay down, watching the door.

Link was actually glad that he wouldn't see Midna immediately; he needed some more time to think what he could possibly say to her to make it so she wouldn't question why he had to go and tell her that it wouldn't be perilous.

Which of course, was a lie.

Link remembered Arvas's chilling tale of the Book, and how he spoke of it. Something about it made Link uneasy, the feel of deceit creeping in his bone marrow.

"_Fa'schirr's magic made the book a supremely powerful artifact, stronger than anything we will ever see in our lifetime, I assure you!_" – Arvas's words exactly.

Tampering with unknown magic, the magic of a dark interloper no less, did not seem very wise. But then there was the fact, that if he did nothing, his dreams would come true. His nightmares, a reality.

"_I can't let that happen… not if I can prevent it_," Link grievously thought to himself.

The stress of his situation was too much for Link to handle right now. He needed to rest up if he wanted to be fresh in the next few days. He knew he would need it. Letting his eyelids droop and meet each other, the sacred beast fell asleep, his mind caught in a maelstrom in contrast to peace outside.

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Ilia and Colin had finally made it outside of Faron Woods. The trek wasn't terribly difficult, and they had managed to get a free lantern from a man with an afro in the woods, enabling them to cut through the darkness.

Colin was leading the way, with Ilia watching the rear in case of ambush. It was already late, and they wanted to make it out to Hyrule field before they made camp for the night. The pale moonlight was covered up by the clouds, leaving the light of the lantern as the only way to see anything.

They finally stopped and set up camp at a small clearing with tall trees, hoping that the trees would block the wind from burning out their only source of light, aside from the fire they had made using the lantern.

"I'll take the first watch," Colin told Ilia, "You need your rest, and I'm used to this kind of travel."

She yawned, as if to agree with him. She looked up at dark, cloudy sky, mulling over ideas her head had composed.

"Colin," she said rather timidly, "Do you honestly think that we'll find Link?"

Colin looked back at her with a smile only an excited teenage youth could give.

"Of course!" he beamed, "Why wouldn't we? You were contacted by a… light spirit is it?"

Ilia lay down on the grass before responding. "Well, yeah… but that doesn't guarantee anything."

"From what you said earlier," Colin chuckled, "it sure seemed powerful and important…"

"But that's the thing," Ilia said cogently, "What would something so powerful and important want with me?"

Colin reflected on Ilia's comment, a notion slowly forming in his head.

"Has it ever occurred to you that Link probably thought the same thing?" he asked.

Ilia looked on, knowing the spirit had told her the same thing. But she wasn't convinced then, and it would take more for her to be convinced now.

Luckily, Colin elaborated.

"I know that we always thought Link was strong… Me, Talo, Malo, Beth… we always believed he was a protector, even before what happened eight years ago happened, when Link was as old as I am now…But that was just childish faith, blinding us. Sure, he showed courage and was an upstanding man, but he didn't slay dragons"

He paused, trying to let the gravity of his words sink in.

"But that never stopped him from becoming the Hero we know him as now. He went along the path, and walked it no matter how treacherous. So if he can do it, why can't we?"

Colin's words hung up in the air for some time, silence reverberating through the night.

"Maybe your right…" Ilia began, only to be cut off by Colin.

"Shh!" he whispered fiercely, "quiet…"

The sound of a branches snapping under heavy feet echoed throughout the camp. Colin quickly unsheathed his sword as he sprang up, preparing for any assault that could come, Ilia jumping to alertness. A cold wind blew, as if to blow out their only means of sight. The fire danced under the pressure of the breeze, but it proved to be too much to handle.

The flame went out, shadows and darkness fully covering them, as a flurry of action happened around them all at once.

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_Link was in shackles, his body sore and stiff. He was badly bruised, blood trickling down his forehead. He had been ambushed… hit over the head by his mysterious attackers. He couldn't tell where he was in his delirious state; all he noticed was the dark shadows that clung to the walls._

_He heard a door open upon rusty hinges, footsteps slowly coming towards him. Closer and closer the footsteps came, until he saw a yellow eyed twili in front of him. His face was a visage of insanity, an unkempt nature about him._

"_Come," it said with a vengeful tone. Suddenly the shackles that held Link to the wall began to take life, coming off the wall, slowly approaching the twili. Link weakly struggled against the dark magic, trying to yank on the chains to stop and hold fast, but to no avail._

"_Struggle all you want," the twili smirked, "you're ours now."_

_The ends of the chain were in the twili's hands now, as he led Link along like a dog on a leash. The twili forced him through many dark twists and turns, all of which looked dangerous. The shadows seemed to beckon him, telling him to seek eternal refuge in their darkness._

_Finally, it seemed they reached their destination. The twili stopped Link in front of a door with blood red markings on it, a strange message engraved in the door. Link could only make out a part of it…_

"The ancient spirits of Wyrd corrupts the minds of those who attempt to touch its dusty pages."

"_The door opened without Link doing a thing, the twili shoving Link through the newly opened passage, leading him to a strange alter._

_Link felt it. Darkness… power… evil… all coming from the alter, or rather what sat on it. Link couldn't see what it was; the shadows hid it's true face._

"_Take it," said a voice from the shadows. Link didn't want to, but the voice and chains made him._

"_Take it," it said again, noticeably louder and more forcefully. Link's hands didn't agree with his mind; they continued to come closer, until his fingers were a few inches away from the strange object."_

"Take it!"

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Link felt a hand gently stroking his furry back, gently petting him. His subconscious let him go back to reality, his feral eyes opening to the sight in front of him.

He didn't know how long he had been out, but it must have been for a long time. Midna kneeled besides the bed, her eyes right in front of his face. She smiled as he started to wake up. She let up on her hand's movement up and down his back, quickly grabbing a tuft of fur on by his head, causing him to wince slightly.

"You lazy beast," she said playfully, "Here I am, trying to run things while your gone, and when I return I find that you've been asleep. Such complacency."

He barked at her, as if to shout,

"_Change me back already!"_

Midna seemingly understood this, whether she could see it in her eyes or actually understood him was unknown.

"Now now, don't be so hasty," she said amused, "I think I'll keep you like this until I get an apology. Doesn't that sound fair?"

Link replied quickly by jumping off his position on the bed, causing Midna to fall to the floor as Link fell atop her, his front paws lying on her shoulders. He licked her face ferociously, causing her to but her hand up in recoil.

"Down!" she exclaimed through her giggling. "Bad dog!"

Link felt his body return to normal as he fell awkwardly to the floor on all fours.

Midna sat up, wiping the wolf drool from her face with the back of her hand, a warm smile on her face.

"You know, I really prefer you show your affection for me when your not a wolf."

Link got up off the ground, sitting Indian style on the floor.

"I got loads to tell you," he said, changing the subject. She sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder, indicating for him to explain.

Link described everything that Arvas had told him, aside from what he was advised not to do. He told her that his dreams would come true, and that Arvas told him he needed to go out on a retreat, alone, if he was to ever figure out the hidden meaning of his dreams. She stared of into the distance a while before she replied.

"You know I don't like it when you leave for extend periods," she whispered in his ear softly.

"I know, and I hate it too," Link said with anger. "It's just that it's either I do as he says or I let fate carry me away." He paused, making eye contact with her.

"And I'm not going to let that happen. Not this time."

Midna felt the gentle stare of his sapphire eyes baring deep to her core. She couldn't ever say no to him or disagree with him when he looked at her like that.

"If you insist," she sadly sighed, "But promise me one thing."

"What's that?" he asked

"Make sure you don't do anything stupid. Arvas may be a good fortune teller, but goddesses forbid he ever think his advice through."

Link laughed a little at her comment.

"Speaking about Arvas," Link began, "You never told me that you two were an item at one point."

She flashed him a devilish little smile. "What? Are you slightly jealous?"

"Who, me?" he asked innocently.

"Your face is like an open book to me, don't hide it," she said, "But don't you worry. That's long gone. Besides, you've seen how he acts; I can barely stand him now."

"Why is that?" Link asked smiling, knowing the reaction he was going to get. "Does his eccentricity get in the way of your high opinion of yourself?"

He asked for it.

"You are SO done for," she said as she wrapped her hands around his neck, squeezing tightly. Link gasped for air as he fell back down to the floor.

"Take it back!" she shouted, more amused than angry. All she got was a short gagging sound in return. She continued to stifle another fit of laughter as she saw Link's contorted face, struggling to get her hands off his neck.

Instead, she went easy on him, letting her vice grip loosen as she lay down on him.

"Your hands are too strong," he said as he panted for breath.

His only response from her was a soft kiss on the lips.

----------------------------------------

A yellow eyed twili stood in a hidden temple, anxiously waiting for the other twili to arrive. He was late, as usual. The other twili's line of work always made for conflicts for what was important, but his master still held high favor of him for whatever reason.

Finally, the door in front of him opened. He was standing face to face with the other twili, the shadows covering his face and eyes.

"Well?" the yellow eyed twili questioned, "Why are you so late?"

"Hold your tongue," the voice said icily, "I bear good news."

The yellow eyed one listened intently.

"I have found one that will more than suit our plan. His arrival though, will take a while."

"We don't have a while," the yellow eyed one scowled. "My armies are soon going to bring the full attention of the twilit throne upon this place. Our master can only cause so much chaos in that accursed palace in his current state."

"Get him to hold off on whatever he is planning. This is well worth the wait."

"Who could this person possibly be?" he asked.

The shadowy stranger whispered something in the cold temple, leaving the yellow eyed twili shocked.

"How did you…?" he questioned.

"I had to do some unsavory dealings that may bring attention to myself later. Some people were killed for the info."

He scowled again. "You had better hope he comes," he threatened, "Or else, you may have jeopardized our whole operation!"

The shadowy figure flashed his uneven teeth. "Trust me… he will come."

**A/N: Yeah, like I said, a little short, and a cliffhanger to boot. God I'm mean. I can promise the next update will be longer in length.**


	6. Looming on the Horizon

**A/N: Chapter 5 is here. I told you that this chapter would be longer, though I perhaps it's mainly cause of the flashback. Oh well. Reviews have been great so far, thank you for the compliments!**

Chapter 5: Looming on the Horizon

Ilia and Colin were cornered. The ambush came quick and swift when the fire went out. Multiple shadowy figures flew out from the woods, closing in on both of them. Colin nimbly dodged the first attacker, thrusting with his blade, stabbing the assailant in the stomach. Ilia found that she wasn't too bad with a bow after all, and she was rewarded with the sound of an arrow crushing a skull inward.

She vomited inside her mouth a little, horrified over what she had done, but continued to fire, a sudden jolt of instinct taking over. Meanwhile, Colin was able to use his burst of agility to keep the attackers from striking him. Another foolishly came to close to him and found himself staring into the afterlife.

Colin and Ilia continued to ward of many waves of attacks, but the assailants kept on coming. The sheer numbers of the attackers paid off, as one got close enough to Colin and felt his dagger connect with his non sword wielding arm. Colin yelled with pain as he cleaved the head off the attacker, but the damage was done.

"There's too many of them," he whispered weakly to Ilia, as he fell wounded.

Suddenly, light flooded the camp, as a flash of steel came down upon the assailants from behind. The other attackers seem to fear the light and newcomer, running from the camp, their ambush a failure.

Colin looked up, bewildered. It was over almost as soon as it happened.

The light from the stranger revealed the dead bodies of an all too familiar enemy. Colin grimaced with anger.

"_Bulbins_," he thought angrily, remembering what they did to him in his childhood.

The stranger came closer to Colin, bending down to examine his wounded arm. The stranger was female. She had dark black hair and dark hazel eyes in contrast to her pale skin, wearing heavy metal armor around her ribcage, with chain mail underneath. She also wore massive gauntlets, colored gold and red. On her hip was a sword, sheathed in a black scabbard. When she spoke, her voice came out harsh and more masculine then it should have been.

"This wound isn't too bad, but it still needs to be wrapped up, yeah?"

The woman got up and went over to where she set her lantern. She quickly returned with some bandages from a pack on the ground, tending to Colin's arm. He winced in pain as the woman certainly didn't care for Colin's comfort, wrapping the bandage around his arm so tight it almost cut off his circulation.

"Who are you?" Colin asked, teeth clenched.

The woman made eye contact with him, sending a slight shiver down Colin's spine. Her eyes were cold and indifferent, just like her manners.

"My name's Ashei," she said curtly, "And your lucky I was around, or you would have been done in."

Ilia, who had been relatively quiet to this point, decided to speak up.

"Thank you," she said politely.

"Why do you talk so weird?" Ashei asked as she sat down by her lantern, "You guys sound a little different from ordinary Hylians, yeah?"

"Well, technically speaking," Colin said, rubbing his arm, "We're not Hylian. We're from the Ordona Province."

"Ordona?" she asked gingerly, "I should have recognized it; I'm familiar with a few people from Ordon village."

"That's where we came from," Ilia said as she too sat down by Ashei, "We're journeying to the castle. I'm Ilia, and this here is Colin."

At the mention of Colin's name, Ashei's eyes widened slightly.

"Colin? You don't mean by chance your Rusl's kid, yeah?"

"You know my dad?" Colin asked a little euphorically.

"Me and him go quite few years back," Ashei said, smiling ever so slightly. "How's the old codger doing these days?"

"He's doing fine, as is the rest of the village," Colin replied.

"No foolin." she said, not so much a question but rather a statement. "Was wondering what happened to him. He used to be part of a group that tried to fix Hyrule. I happened to be a part of it to," she paused for a while, seemingly reminiscing on times past. "But we disbanded in a way, yeah? Things in Hyrule got better, and still are for the most part."

"Speaking of Hyrule," Colin said bitterly, the sudden ambush merging into his memory banks, "Why did the Bulbins attack us? Weren't they allies now, after the war five years ago?"

Ashei gave him a blank, absent minded stare. "To tell the truth, I don't know much about what happened during that war. I wasn't around, too busy up in Snowpeak. I heard the Bulbins allied with us, but I was skeptical. Seems it was a little misplaced though…"

"How is it misplaced?" Ilia questioned, "They just attacked us not but a few seconds ago."

"Maybe I should rephrase," she said, her feet kicking up dust as she adjusted herself.

"Some of the Bulbins are at peace with Hyrule, yeah? Those Bulbins are led by our good friend, their King. However, not all the Bulbins wanted peace. They'd rather keep fighting. Civil war has basically broken out between two tribes of Bulbins. It's damn frustrating too because these groups aren't fighting each other so much as co-existing."

She sighed as she went on with her tale. Ashei hoped she wasn't boring them.

"The other Bulbins, they've focused on just attacking Hylians. They want all the citizens to think Bulbins are hostile, try to force King Bulbin to rejoin groups and stay enemies with Hyrule."

"Pretty smart," thought Colin rather surprised at such ingenuity coming from such creatures.

"Why would they do that though?" Colin asked.

"Beats the hell out of me!" came Ashei's curt reply.

"Anyways," Ashei started, "Where did you say you were going?"

"We have to speak to Princess Zelda, as soon as possible," said Colin.

"Well, this really is your lucky day, isn't it?" she said, that slight smile making an appearance. It's twisted appearance made it seem like this was the most she'd ever smiled in some time.

"I happen to be on of Zelda's knights now, yeah? So I keep in close contact with her. I can get you to see her if you want."

"Really?" Ilia asked excitedly.

"Why would I lie?" she asked, "I'll escort you there. I needed to head back to the palace to report to the Princess anyway."

"But first," Ashei continued, "It looks like you two could use some rest. I can take watch for you if you want, I don't mind."

"Thank you," Colin and Ilia both said at the same time.

Luck. What a fickle thing it seemed to be for the two travelers. Standing on the brink of death one second, only to find help and relieve the next. They didn't argue with Ashei's wisdom, and simply fell asleep without so much as a whisper.

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Link was looking at something he seriously hoped he would never have to use again.

The Master Sword lay in the holy scabbard of the royal family, it's blue and gold markings symbolizing the ancient power the great weapon held. The scabbard glowed with a strange visceral light, the power of the sols so great it made the scabbard shine bright. Link drew the blade of evil's bane from it's scabbard quick as a flash, the metallic sound ringing in his ears, only to slowly let it go back in it's case.

He smiled slightly. It had been a long time since he had to use his sword. Blood rushed through his body, a jolt sending impulses to his brain.

_Adventure._

Link never liked the killing part of his travels to be honest. The sound of human muscles and bone crunching on steel was not something he was keen to remember, even though that thought would never enter his head when he fought to defend his life. But he always yearned for exploration, even when he was but a child. There was many a time where he would go off past Ordon's boundaries in his youth, looking for a new nook in a tree, or spot behind a bush to call his own. It just so happened that bloodshed was part of the job description as you got older.

His glance traveled over the Hylian shield next, it's strong metal body resting on the wall. The shield itself was battered and beaten up, small dents in the steel from deflecting many weapons. Regardless, it was still made from the finest of material, and would never actually break.

His third item he looked over, was something that he never had to use, but was anxiously waiting to try out.

The twili were a generous sort, and had provided their King a new suit of chain-mail armor. His old one he got with his heroes clothes had been worn down and offered little protection. His new one however, was an inch thicker, and made more flexible so Link's agile body wouldn't be restrained. Link found the gift to be a great token of appreciation, especially when one considered how scarce metal was to the denizens of the twilight.

Link sighed as he slipped off his heroes clothes, the green tunic falling to the floor with a small thud. Keeping his white undershirt on, he slipped the chain-mail over his body, finding that it felt to be as good as advertised. He gingerly moved his shoulder around, testing how well he could move his arms.

"Aren't you scary?"

Midna was watching him as he donned his battle gear, her arms raised casually over head. She wore a smirk, the nostalgia of there first meeting setting in with her words.

------------------------------

Tracking a wolf being dragged by an incompetent shadow being was something Midna never though would have been high on her priority list, if the laughable situation were to ever occur. But it happened. And this wolf was the closest thing she would ever find to resemble a hero. The goddesses knew she needed one.

The dumb witted pawn of Zant had managed to drag the beast all the way to Hyrule Castle. She followed it with ease, making sure not to be seen by others of it's kind. After all, that's what the beast was doing in Faron Woods in the first place. The fact that this light dweller got pulled into the twilight wasn't her fault, and it distracted the dumb brute from finding her. Now she planned to make the most of the situation.

The shadow beasts stupidly left the wolf shackled to the ground, with no guard or anything. It was too easy.

After a couple hours of waiting, the wolf got up, slowly at first. As the light dweller came to, he realized he was in the body of a wolf. Midna giggled from the shadows at his reaction. The beast made futile attempts to free itself from it's chained imprisonment, biting on the chains, desperately trying to break them. She laughed again, but this time, the wolf heard her. He looked into the shadows, as Midna slowly came forth. Her eyelids slowly started to come open, finally snapping as wide as possible as she jumped to the other side of the room, the wolf looking in awe.

"I found you!" she snickered in her imp like voice. The wolf started to growl at her.

"Oooh! Aren't you scary!" she said, teasing the wolf, "Eee hee! Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring at me?"

The wolf didn't relent his growls, continuing to try and get this newcomer away from him.

"Well that's too bad…" she said, feigning interest, her arms crossed, "I was planning on helping you, if you were nice."

Immediately, the beast before her let up on his snarling, sitting up straight.

"Eee hee! That's much better!" she said, pleased at the beast's compliance, "You humans are obedient to a fault, aren't you?"

"Oops!" she said as she got in front of the wolf's face, hitting him upside the chin twice, "But you AREN'T human anymore, are you? You're a beast! Eee hee!"

The wolf glared, snapping his jaws at her. Midna laughed as she jumped back.

"There, there," she said, teasing him once again, "You be a good boy and calm down. No need to bite!"

Midna's smile vanished as she curled her hands in the shape of a circle, a ball of shadow energy forming her small hands. She let it go, hitting the shackles, effectively severing them in two. The wolf recoiled, looking down at his freed paw.

"You look kind of surprised! Eee hee hee!" Midna said, getting in front of the light dwellers face. Midna then jumped back, her body starting to burst into small circles, almost like she was dissolving. The wolf looked at her in amazement.

"So, I bet you're wondering, where exactly are we?" she said before she dissipated completely, her body coming back together on the other side of the cell.

"Well, I'll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I'll tell you! Eee hee!"

She indicated for the wolf to come to her, yawning as she stretched her arms over her head, smirking, waiting for the wolf to try and break free.

------------------------------

That was back then. A long memory of the past. Midna remembered how bitterly she treated him, as if he were nothing more than a tool. She sourly regretted it now of course, that was obvious. Midna hoped she was making it up to him now with her affection.

"Am I?" Link asked, "After all, this armor is made by your people. You would know if I were intimidating."

"Does it fit well?" she asked, changing to subject.

"It fits perfectly," Link responded while grabbing his green tunic from the ground, slipping it over him, "I thought the extra inch might bog my down, but I don't think it will."

Midna looked onwards into the twilight, away from Link. A tendril in form of a question was wrapped around her mind, and it wouldn't let go.

"Link," she began softly, "Why do you need all this stuff if it's not that dangerous?"

He turned to face her, his cerulean eyes shining at her.

"_Oh goddesses_," she thought to herself. Those damned eyes of his melted away all her resistance.

"It's just a precaution Midna," he said with his smile, making Midna feel more at ease, "I don't know what's out there, and it's best to be prepared for the worst."

"I'm glad your actually using that head of yours," she teased, her hand in a fist, gently tapping his forehead as if she were knocking on a door.

He suddenly wrapped her in his arms, pulling her close. Midna felt her knees get a little weaker. Even after spending so much time with him, she still felt her strength wane whenever he was this close.

"Link," she said, "I know you say it's not dangerous, but…" she paused, looking down as she bit her lip, "Just, promise to come back safely.

"I will," he said, "I promise on my life I will."

"Good," she said rather hastily, "cause if you don't, I swear I'll kill you."

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Her hands went behind his neck as she pulled his head close to meet lips, passionately kissing him.

Everyone in the palace who was important was there to watch their King leave. They all wished him luck, sending him off outside the palace's front gates. Council men, pages, scribes, soliders, the royal cooks, it didn't matter. All they were told is that their King was leaving for important business, something that concerned all the twilight.

Midna had lied slightly, but she always found it amusing to play with the imaginations of those around her. The council probably though he himself was going to try and find the missing soliders he sent, to clean up his mess. But only she knew the real reason. As she was outside the palace gates, watching Link go off into the great city of Irael, she noticed something odd. Someone was missing. She turned to her left, where Tirana was with her twin sons.

"Tirana, where's Aicantar?"

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Silence ran amok in the empty palace. All the fools in the world left to go see their mighty King leave. Not him. He was all alone.

"_How unbelievably stupid of them,_" he thought.

But then again, how could they know much of what he was planning? He had made it so they were clueless, not to mention he himself was unsure of everything to this point.

Aicantar's was in the twili royal library, where all the knowledge one would ever need to possess was. Tall bookshelves lined with historical antecedes and bindings full of spells surrounded the walls. Stepladders made of wood were a common sight, needed in case someone needed to reach their way to the highest shelf. He took a cursory glance around to make sure no one was in the shadows, as he made his way through the library, going around the desk where the attendant normally was, into the backroom.

The twili were a cautious race after their imprisonment in this world. They cast the dark interlopers responsible for it into exile, and banned the magic they practiced. All artifacts that remained, were banished into a vault where they were kept locked away, with very few still in the outside world.

Aicantar, now navigating the backroom of the library, was standing right before that vault. He muttered a spell he did not know. It came to him in his sleep as did the rest of his plan.

A strange man, clad in purple with wicked, horrible eyes came to Aicantar in his sleep. He had been haunting him for some time now, but the man described himself as a friend. He knew of his plight, about his brother, saying 'justice must be served'. Aicantar started to trust the strange man in his dream, day by day. He was the one telling him now, that he was to break into this vault of forbidden magic, and by doing so, he could become King.

Aicantar, was of course, skeptical. It was a dream after all. Still, it seemed so real, he decided to try what the man in his dreams told him.

His faithfulness was rewarded by the sound of the door opening, revealing a vault filled with priceless artifacts. Aicantar's stunned expression, quickly turned to a grin.

"_Magic that us twili were afraid to use_," he thought as he entered the vault, "_Will be unleashed once more, so I may be King_."

He looked around as he entered, unsure what to do. However, one particular artifact drew his attention, beckoning to him. He picked up tepidly at first, examining it. The object he held in his hands was a round orb made of glass. Inside, a shroud of purple, green, and orange gas mixed. Aicantar looked at it strangely, before something he didn't expect happened.

A crackle of light shot through his arms, sending Aicantar flying backwards, the orb crashing on the floor. Aicantar felt groggy as he got up, his head hurt something fierce. He cursed. He got up and picked up the orb, which surprisingly did not break on the floor, setting it back where it stood.

"Useless dreams," he muttered under his breath, leaving and closing the vault behind him, "Next time, I'll just see a shrink."

The orb however, had changed appearance. It was now empty of the gas that swirled inside it, the magic it held siphoned from it… the darkness freed at last.

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**A/N: I wonder what's with me and cliffhangers? Well, all I can say is, I'm finally getting the story the way I want to go. I can also promise you that updates will be less frequent. Sorry!**


	7. A Psychic's Plight

**A/N: So you may have noticed that I accidently labeled 'Looming on the Horizon' as Chapter 6, when it was supposed to be Chapter 5. Sorry! This is chapter 6. (Damn that prologue for throwing me off!)**

Chapter 6: A Psychic's Plight

Link walked along the cobblestone streets of the great twili city of Irael. The tapping of his brown leather boots hit the ground in perfect rhythm as he walked through the crowded streets. Fingers from strangers found their way upwards, murmuring and whispering to the others next to them.

"What is the King doing here?" they would say, the shock on their faces as they watched him go past.

"I don't know," others would reply. "Why all the isolation in the first place?"

It was true. Link embraced the feel of seclusion from the populace. Crowds always gave him a hard time, especially crowds that originally wanted to maw him with compliments and praise for saving them. That feeling of euphoric nature had left the twili years ago, now replaced with curiosity at the King's life of limited appearance, a stark contrast to their Queen's outgoing attitude.

The stares didn't relent as Link made his way to the heart of the city. His eyes traveled over the three streets – one to the east, one to the west, and a final one to the south – which would take him to separate provinces in the twilight. A quandary racked at Link's brain, with no way to get it out of his head.

"Where the hell do I start?" he questioned allowed, the eyes of all the twili now staring at him, the center of their attention.

The problem with this adventure? There was no clear destination. No map to help you as a guide, only obscure hints that you could bleakly follow, hoping that you could find your way. No way to-

"Hello dear friend."

Link's train of thought hit a penny on the railroad tracks upon hearing the voice behind him, knocking the train off completely.

The man responsible for the crash wore strange robes, wearing a small gold chain on his neck. But his most distinguished characteristic was-

"Hello Arvas."

The unmistakable vibrant hair of Arvas stood out like a lighthouse to sailors lost in a foggy storm at sea. The twili didn't look his usual self however. Several black rings were around his eyelids, suggesting either nightmares or lack of sleep from a long journey.

Considering Arvas's profession, it was probably the latter.

"What are you doing here?" Link questioned.

"It's always business with you, isn't it?" said Arvas. "Can't a friend by courteous to one another when they meet on the streets?"

Link glared at him harshly. "We met but yesterday," said Link. "That hardly even makes us acquaintances."

Arvas shrugged nonchalantly in response.

"Perceptive, are we?" Arvas asked with an eyebrow raised. "Fine. I do admit, that certain… circumstances, shall we say, have made your journey a lot more important to my well being."

"What do you mean by circumstances?" Link asked, now deciding to take on the role of interrogator.

"It seems that the world is being cruel to my type," Arvas sighed as he took out a beautifully crafted wooden pipe from his robes, lighting it after putting in a strange plant substance.

"You see," Arvas began. "People in my profession, those who provide similar services such as mine, have been victimized as of late. The eternal enemy of life has taken them from this plane of existence, and it seems that I may not be safe."

"English please," Link said as he rolled his eyes impatiently.

Arvas took a long drag from his pipe, letting off a puff of smoke. It smelt like crap.

"_Wouldn't kill you to try and dig beneath the surface_," Arvas mumbled. "In laymen's terms, a murderer has started killing psychics, and I fear for my safety."

So maybe it was the former after all. Link thought it strange though, that this news never reached the palace.

"How many others are there like you?" Link asked, now genuinely concerned.

"None, really," replied Arvas. "No one touches my skill level. But as for psychics in terms of profession, there are quite a few. Many of them are fakes, trying to make a quick bit of coin. But this killer," he paused, making sure to connect with Link's cobalt eyes. "This killer has been attacking the real deal. People I usually talk to are dead."

Link's eyes widened. Now he needed to know.

"Why hasn't news of this reached the castle?"

Arvas looked at Link as if he had just sprouted an extra head. "Why did Midna send you as a wolf to see me again?" Arvas asked him.

Link blinked at him confused. This was supposed to answer his question?

"She thought it was a good idea that I wasn't seen going out in public to see a psychic, and I agreed."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Arvas. "The truth about those who take up our line of work: Nobody gives a damn about you. Your considered batty and insane, a fraud amongst tricksters."

Realization dawned over Link. Every single system, no matter what it was, always had some bastard love child that no one looked keenly upon. It seemed that in the twili's system of magic, divination was the village idiot.

"So why did Midna believe your talents if things are so far-fetched?" asked Link, continuing to badger him with questions.

"She believes me cause of our past," Arvas said with a slight smile. "When I started becoming cognizant of my gift, I tried to abuse it to impress her." He started chuckling to himself as he re-thought old memories. "Seems that's all she remembers me by."

Link was keen not to learn more. So he started to believe him.

"Alright. So let me guess," Link said. "You want to come along with me for your safety."

Arvas played with the pipe in his mouth a minute before replying. "Perhaps," he said feigning interest. "But you see," Arvas continued. "If you have me along, I might be able to use my talents of foresight to help map where we need to go."

"_Can't argue with that_," Link thought. If Arvas could be the missing piece to the puzzle he gave him to begin with, he would use it.

"Alright," Link said kindly. "Let's get going."

"Surprised it took you this long to decide to."

"Huh?" Link asked, only realizing what he meant seconds later.

A crowd of twili had gathered around them as Link and Arvas got lost in their conversation. Feeling closed in like goats in a pen, Link hurried Arvas forward through the crowd, getting a whiff of the awful smoke in the pipe.

"What is that stuff?" Link asked as they approached the west gate to the Llervu Province.

"Jasmine Rose, a rare plant in the twilight," he replied calmly. "It's actually illegal to have, but…"

"_Perfect_," Link thought to himself, not bothering to listen to this eccentric. Not only had he been seen with a psychic, which only moments ago he learned was looked down upon, but was seen with a drug doing psychic. And he was the damn King.

"_Well, it can only go up from here_," Link thought as he and Arvas went through the wicker gates of the west, into the wilderness beyond.

"_I hope_."

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The glowing red fireball known as the sun lit up the sky of Hyrule, welcoming the dawn of a new day. The clouds brightly lit up, the blue sky mingling with the iridescent hues of orange, weaving a telltale picture for an artist to paint. The smell of a fire burnt out long ago and sense of fatigue could be felt throughout the world-weary traveler's camp site.

Ilia sat on a mossy rock, admiring the beautiful scene that had burst from nature's womb. Colin and Ashei slept peaceably behind her, their dreams giving them solace from the journey they were on. Suddenly going from an easy-going life to a life of travel, one where enemies could be anywhere, was never easy. And yet, the fact this journey was just beginning, was not comforting. Already her back ached from the rock covered ground she was forced to sleep on. Already were they attacked by Bulbins who had cleverly ambushed them.

But she would still trudged on. The camaraderie Colin offered her kept her going willingly, and she got the impression from Ashei that she might make her go on, even unwillingly.

Letting out a rather loud yawn, Ilia walked over to were they rested, shaking both of them gently until they started to wake up. Their eye's started to blink lazily as they raised their arms in the air, stretching away the stains of sleep.

Finally fully aware and alert, they shared some cold biscuits, packed up their provisions, and were on their way.

The most direct route to the Castle from where they were as to take the overpass to Lake Hylia, according to Ashei. For the most of their traversing over the plains of Hyrule field, they were silent. It wasn't until they stopped for a quick break under the morning sun that they started to converse again.

"So," Ashei said as they approached the giant rock over Lake Hylia, effectively connecting the two bridges together. "You never told me why you needed to see Princess Zelda so badly, yeah?"

Ilia was taken aback slightly. It was a legitimate question, one that she had every right of them to ask. Still, that didn't stop Ilia from secretly hoping it wouldn't come up.

"Well, it sounds ridiculous," began Ilia. "But, I was told to seek her out by a light spirit."

Ashei appeared to consider her statement for a while. "I've heard stranger things. Go on."

"The thing is…" Ilia paused, not sure _how_ to go on. "It's… well…"

"It told her how to find Link!" Colin exclaimed, butting in the conversation.

Ashei stopped dead in her tracks. She whirled around to face them, her eyes as big as dinner plates.

"What did you say?" she asked, her voice weak.

"Colin…" Ilia hissed, slightly angry.

"What?" he asked. "That's what you told me!"

Ilia let out a deep sigh before she decided to tell Ashei everything. After all, Colin blew the biggest surprise.

"What he says is true," said Ilia, her head looking at the ground. "I was sitting in the spirit's spring back in Ordon, when suddenly, the spirit talked to me."

"It told me that Link was alive and well, on another plane of existence. But, it also said that this world may need Link again. And for some reason, I was the only one that could find him. From there, it told me to find Princess Zelda to deliver a message and she would offer help to find Link."

"Hmm," Ashei hummed. "I don't think the Princess knows anything, yeah? We committed a lot of resources to finding Link when he first went missing. What did the spirit say to tell her?"

Ilia recalled the most eerie part of the spirit's message.

"It wasn't really a message… just a single word. It said to say the word, 'Twilight.'"

Ashei's eyes went wide again. "What?!" she exclaimed. "You mean as in, 'The Twilight crisis' twilight?"

Colin, who had never heard this part before, gasped.

"What is it?" Ilia asked. "Did I miss something?"

"Ilia," Colin began. "Your memory was shaken and on a road to recovery when all of this was going on, so I doubt you know much of it. But on Link's journey eight years ago, that's what he saved us from."

Suddenly, Ilia started to remember why the word seemed familiar. When Link first got back to Ordon, he would often sit alone on a grassy knoll, and watch the sun go down. One time she got close enough to hear he was talking to himself before he was aware of her presence. He was muttering something about twilight under his breath. She also swore she heard something about a mirror too. And then there was the Princess's speech after this crisis was over. It too, mentioned something about twilight.

"Colin's got it down," said Ashei. "Eight years ago, shadow beasts attacked Hyrule. They left Hyrule in a state of fear and chaos, evil pervading the land. However, Link cut through it's fog, and saved Hyrule from it. And we referred to the time as the 'Twilight Crisis' because of the wave of darkness that covered the land, yeah?"

"_All this time and I didn't know_…" Ilia thought to herself.

"What do you think it means?" Ilia asked them both.

"I don't know," said Colin. "But if has anything to do with those shadow fiends, then it can't be good."

"I concur," Ashei grimly said. "This info and journey is now very important."

Ilia looked down to the ground. It didn't make sense. The spirit said Link was living peaceably. But how could he be living in peace if what Ashei and Colin said was true?

"C'mon," Ashei said as she began to walk again, her pace noticeably quicker than last time. "We'll take fewer breaks and we'll have to walk faster. I want the Princess to hear about this, yeah?"

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Back in the Twilight, an ex-princess, now Queen, was particularly angry, and she let others around her know it.

Midna was storming through the Palace of Twilight, determined to find Aicantar and force him to tell her why he wasn't there. Why he was all alone in the Castle. Why he didn't show up.

"Don't you think you should think this through?" questioned Tirana who was trying her best to keep up and calm the Queen. "I mean, he could have a legitimate reason, you never know."

Midna turned around to face her, rage in her amber eyes.

"You honestly think that someone who stirs up as much chaos he does has pure motives?" she questioned. "In all honesty, if I had been on Zant's case after he did something like this, maybe I would have prevented his usurping!"

"But, something good came from that, didn't it?" Tirana said as she desperately tried to pacify Midna.

"Yes, two good things did come from it," she said calmly. "I found Link, and I learned from my mistake."

Tirana sighed as Midna started to march through the palace again. A valid point, she had to admit.

After going through most of the palace, they finally stood before Aicantar's chambers. Midna threw the door open, causing it forcibly slam into the wall. Aicantar, who was lying on his bed with a hand on his head, winced at the noise.

"Must you be so loud?" he spat. "I have a splitting headache."

"Why weren't you there to see Link off?" Midna hissed back at him.

Aicantar rolled his eyes. He knew she would make a big deal out of this.

"Excuse me for not seeing off the King," he said, his voice ridden with sarcasm. "You act as if I committed treason with my absence."

"I requested everyone to be there to see Link off. Your not getting off the hook without a damned good reason for not showing your ugly mug," Midna said spitefully.

"How about this headache I'm complaining about hmm?" he said irritated by her nagging.

Midna looked at him exasperated. She had kept hidden agendas enough times to know when someone else had one.

"Let's get one thing straight," Midna said as she walked over to where Aicantar lie. "I don't trust you, or your motives. You don't like me, and I don't like you."

Stillness pervaded the room.

"It's obvious to me that you were doing something that you shouldn't have been doing," said Midna, breaking the brief silence. "Otherwise, you wouldn't be so defensive."

Aicantar glared at her. She was smart, that was certain. He didn't exactly expect a confrontation like this so soon. Luckily, he was prepared.

"Me? Do something wrong? Ha!" Aicantar laughed. "Tell me, my Queen. If I'm such a liability, then why not just let me go?" he asked, sitting up to face Midna.

"You haven't given me a true reason… yet."

They both locked eyes with each other. A hidden mind game had been brewing between the councilor and the Queen. They had managed to match each other blow for blow so far. Neither one of them planned on slipping now.

"You're a pain in my ass," Midna said, her tone shifting from angry to amused. "But you still manage to stay in good favor with the council. Don't think I don't see your game."

"_What a nuisance_," Aicantar thought.

"And what would that be?" he asked with his suave voice. Getting her to accuse her of something with no evidence would be perfect for him.

Midna chuckled. "Wouldn't you love to know," she said as she walked towards the door.

"Don't think I'm incapable of playing your games Aicantar. You will lose."

With that echoing comment, she slammed the door shut, issuing another surge of pain to rack Aicantar's head.

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After Aicantar was sure she wasn't outside her door, he let out a sigh of relief. Yet again, he had managed to use his speaking skills to get her off his case. He wondered why she hadn't ordered his tongue cut yet.

There was a small part of Aicantar's subconscious that couldn't help but admire Midna's demeanor. The way she carried herself with others on the council made politics a game no one could play. Midna would often use her rare mix of playful nature and hidden spite to make the council do her bidding.

Not with Aicantar. She spared him all pleasantries when dealing with the councilor. As the exchange that just occurred showed, they matched each other perfectly. Aicantar's false debonair attitude against Midna's capricious and mischievous nature, making the perfect heavyweight fight between minds.

However, she ever so slightly tilted her hand. It was clear to Aicantar now, why she had put up with his hard-ass mentality for all this time.

"_She wants to prove that no one can beat her_," he whispered to himself.

When the princess first returned to them, she wasn't pleased with the reform that came with her. The council wielded new power never before seen, as an agreement she had to sign if she ever wanted the throne back. A consequence of Zant's usurping.

However, that never stopped her. She meticulously used her abilities to get her way, either using personality to humble the council, or used claims of 'divine right'. She had, after all, broken the mirror, affirming her status in the twilight.

All that changed when Aicantar joined the council. He knew how to wield the power she gave up, and enforced it well. Making the King and Queen (especially savoring the King) look foolish gave him great satisfaction.

And now, he knew why she hadn't tried to remove him. She wanted a challenge. A test of skill.

"How foolish of you, my Queen," he said aloud, getting up from the bed. His normal jade green eyes glowed with a hint of orange suddenly, the color not his own. "Foolish, because I now have an ace up my sleeve."

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The magic, now free to do as it pleased, was thinking long and hard about what it should do. Should it reward the hand that freed it? No, it was never the generous sort. It would only stay in this body until a different one came along.

Should it try to take the ruler of this realm under his command? No, not possible. She was protected by some strange barrier, that it could not get through. Perhaps when it was at full strength.

Should it cause destruction to run rampant? No, that would come in due time.

The magic, now free to do as it pleased, was content with just that. The ability to chose.

An ability, that would mark trouble for the twilight's future.

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**A/N: Am I evil, or what? You must hate how I end every chapter...**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter. Reviews are welcome! And thank you, Spartan 3x13, for the constructive criticism!**


	8. Unmasked

**A/N: Chapter 7 is here. Sorry for the slightly longer than usually update time, I've been busy this week. Reviews are welcome! Also, keep in mind to read the author's note at the bottom.**

Chapter 7: Unmasked

As the activities in the Palace of Twilight dwindled down, the day coming to end, Midna went to retire to her chambers. Plopping down on the now lonely bed without Link by her side, she stared at the ceiling, her head wandering in the clouds of thought.

Responsibility – The word resounded off the walls inside Midna's mind.

She had a duty to this realm, and that was her priority over anything personal. It was a hard learned lesson at first, as she reminded herself that Zant's usurping could have been prevented. She had the means and power to stop him before Ganondorf's madness and power even touched him. But she, being the fickle girl she was back then, did not care, nor take the initiative to possibly hinder him. Blind youth clouded her judgment.

It was this reminder to herself, she remembered, that was the reason that she could not follow Link.

"_Please by safe_," Midna thought to her lonesome.

Link may have said his retreat or journey wasn't dangerous, but she knew that he wouldn't prepare so heavily for nothing. He was doing something perilous, and he was trying to protect her. Link never was any good at lying.

When he first told Midna, she didn't know whether to be angry at his lying or not. But she knew in her heart that he did it to protect her, and she loved him for that. Even if did mean he sorely underestimated her magical prowess.

Yes, her love for him was deep and everlasting. He could make a mistake and simply smile and she'd forget all about it. Stare into those blue, ocean deep eyes, and melt away. Feel his arms around her waist and feel safe and protected. Taste his lips and feel her carnal desires being poked and prodded.

Midna suddenly felt her ears grow hot as she felt blood rush to her face. The mere thought of him made her grow self-conscious, yet wonderful at the same time.

Shaking her head, her thoughts traveled elsewhere now. Back to the important matter at hand. To the matter which scared and intrigued her to her core.

"_What was Aicantar doing?_"

She knew lying when she saw it, although Aicantar was a much more apt liar then Link ever was. His motives, plans, abilities – they were but a mystery to her. It's perfectly fine, sometimes, if your friendly with the person. But it's downright petrifying if you're their number one enemy.

Midna's amber eyes were powerful to most. Dragging what she wanted from the men and women of her council was easy under her alluring gaze. But Aicantar was such an enigma, the only exception. Perhaps that's why her demeanor in front of the council had changed when he was around. Maybe his influence made the council stronger. Perchance he was her only match in wit.

And that's why she would play his game.

Midna's thought process dissolved instantly. She felt her eyelids droop lazily as she pulled the silk covers over her body, knowing she would need her rest for tomorrow. The council would meet to decide on important matters while Link was away, and Midna would see that things wouldn't go against her favor.

After all, it was her responsibility.

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Peace. Silence. Serenity. The quiet embrace of the palace of twilight as its inhabitants sleep onwards was welcome to any who wondered off with a bad case of insomnia. It was especially welcome, however, to its darker roots. The roots that led to exile, to hate - to death.

The dark magic decided to make a choice that night. It felt like stirring the melting pot, just so it could see who the leaders were, as opposed to the pawns.

Commanding the body it sought, the magic found its way to the chambers of an elderly twili. The awful snoring hurt his possessed body's ears, making them feel like they might burst and bleed.

The snoring didn't last long though. It made sure of that.

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The pale sky of twilight was a magnificent sight when you got used to it. People who watched the sunset in the realm of light would know its charm all to well. The clouds lighting on fire to create a burning effect, mixed in with the dark purple as the sun faded into the night, was the epitome of serene beauty

But it did get boring. At least it did to Link.

"How can you stand this?" he asked Arvas. They both were traveling on the dusty dirt road to a small twili town on the outskirts of Irael for provisions and a place to rest. The path to the town took them through a small wooded area, with a few trees and tall grass.

Arvas cocked his head as he kept walking, looking curiously at him. "What do you mean?" he fired back.

"I mean, how can you stand the same atmosphere all the time?" Link said, his tone desolate. "Don't get me wrong, there is a certain attraction to the twilight. But doesn't it bore you, never to see the sun gleam, or the moon glisten?"

He shot Link a small grin, shaking his head. "One cannot miss what one doesn't know."

Link said nothing, feeling a strange pain at Arvas's sentiment.

"I have never known anything beyond this world," Arvas continued, "We were once part of your world though. We once knew what it felt like to see the world with light and night. Till out ancestors denied us that right of course. Till… Fa'schirr."

The name of this mysterious entity popping up intrigued Link. The interloper who existed in the banishing age of the twili stuck in Link's mind like a splinter not wanting to leave the skin of a finger it attached itself to. A strange sense of might seemed to surround the name, an aura of old, unknown power. Link's eyes abruptly snapped open, as big as they could be.

"_Finally, for the love of the goddesses, an epiphany_," he thought, remembering his dream.

"Arvas, I know you told me a lot about Fa'schirr already. But do you know anymore?"

"What a question," the eccentric psychic said smiling, "Of course I know more about him. His origins, his power, anything you need to know."

Link looked perplexed. "How do you know so much about him?"

"You may not believe me," Arvas stated with a wry grin, "But I am an avid historian. Ever since I found my gift of psychic powers, I studied the history of the Twili, as if to find an answer for why I possessed the abilities I have now. During my studies, Fa'schirr's name came up quiet often. So I learned all I can about him."

Arvas stopped walking, taking out his pipe and sitting by the nearest tree.

"And what I learned was quiet disturbing. Tell me Link," Arvas said, as Link sat below the tree as well, "Do you know about the legend of Majora?"

"Majora?" Link asked, his mind sifting through his memories, trying to remember if Midna had ever mentioned the name. "No, it doesn't ring a bell."

"I'm not surprised," Arvas sighed. "It's a shameful, even hated part of our past. We're almost nothing like are ancestors were."

Clearing his throat and taking a long drag from his pipe, Arvas began to tell his tale.

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"Long ago, in the times of ancient myth, back when the goddesses first descended upon this world, there was a beast called Majora. This strange creature was quite unlike any other. It was said that its armor contained a great and evil magical power, one that could grant the wishes of those wearing it. Many people of all races traveled to where Majora lurked, hoping to try and obtain this power."

"None were successful in fighting it. Majora devoured them, trying to protect his power from any who sought it. However, one was successful by taking a different approach. A musician, who was described to have long white hair, played the savage beast a tune on a mysterious instrument. Majora, overwhelmed by the calming melody, began to dance for three days straight, his pain leaving him. On the end of the third day, Majora perished, his attachment to this plane of living gone, leaving behind his body armor."

"The musician proceeded to carve the body armor of the beast into a mask. It was called Majora's Mask, based off the beast it was carved from. The musician, then stowed the mask away for some time, the dark power of it sealed away so none could touch it."

"Eventually, Majora's Mask fell into the hands of our ancestors. Back then, the twili were a savage race of magical endeavors. Our ancestors used magic that would be banned by us in a heartbeat. The only ones literate and wise among us were those of the royal family."

"When they first received Majora's Mask, they were intrigued by the masks intricate designs, and began to use it as a ceremonial device in the casting of hexes in curses. This twisted the mask, reviving its dark and apocalyptic power. It slowly grew more and more powerful, twisting the minds of those who touched it. Eventually, the ancients sealed it away in shadow with us Twili. None remain who know what happened to the mask."

"Among those who touched the mask and used it in ceremonies was none other than Fa'schirr. Fa'schirr was a twili interloper, a leader of our ancestor's cult. During a ritual gone horribly wrong, Fa'schirr freed some hidden magic within the mask. It spoke to him, bestowing unfathomable power on Fa'schirr. The mask told Fa'schirr to be his disciple on the plain of men, his voice on earth. History tells us that it was Majora himself who talked to Fa'schirr, tricking him into thinking Majora to be a god-like entity."

"Majora's shroud of power controlled the twili, with Fa'schirr's promises of world domination too much to handle. Using Majora's power, Fa'schirr created the Fused Shadow, an artifact that he and other twili used to make an attempt to control the sacred realm. The goddesses stepped in however, sealing our ancestors in the twilight realm, distributing the four pieces of the fused shadow. One stayed with the royal family of the twili, while the others were scattered throughout Hyrule."

"The twili royal family, realizing the terrible mistake that they had made by trusting Fa'schirr, exiled and excommunicated him from society within the twilight. Fa'schirr, still under Majora's influence, created many more powerful artifacts in his exile, eventually waging a guerrilla war against those opposed to him. One such artifact was the Book of Wyrd."

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"And the rest," Arvas said in conclusion, "You already know."

Link had listened diligently to Arvas, trying to soak in ever detail like a tree who had not felt rain in a year. His mind racked at all the things Arvas had told him of this excerpt from Twili history, trying to find a solution to his own personal dilemma.

"So Fa'schirr was a follower of Majora, and he was the one who led the twili into this exile?" Link asked to make sure he was correct.

"Simply put, yes." Arvas replied. "Most twili do not like discussion's involving Fa'schirr or Majora, many trying to forget it like it never happened…" Arvas trailed off, growing serious. "But it did happen, and this place is our eternal reminder of it. As a historian, I'm a firm believer in 'Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it', so I am much more tolerant of such discussions."

Link nodded. The eccentric was wise.

"Are there any theories of what happened to Majora's Mask?" Link asked.

"Quite a few, although no one here knows for sure," said Arvas. "Some suggest that Majora's Mask found its way back into the land of light, where it tried to plague the world with its power again. Some say that the mask was destroyed when Fa'schirr died, with the theory of a symbiotic relationship helping the other two exist. But as I said earlier, no one really knows."

Link sighed heavily. Now he knew things were really dangerous, even more so than he thought them to originally be. If this Majora was even half as powerful as Arvas described, then he would be up against a power rivaling Ganondorf.

"C'mon Link," Arvas said, stretching as he got up, "The closest town, Crescent Village, is only an hour away, and we need to rest."

Link nodded in agreement as they walked on, silently this time, both wrestling with their minds.

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The throne room, as almost all throne rooms were, was extravagantly huge. It took about three minutes to actually reach the throne if you walked slowly, two if you ran fast and were in a big hurry. However, if you _did _reach the throne in two minutes or less, then the ruler probably wouldn't be there long. The bloodstained history of the kingdom suggested one thing if something was that important – Danger was coming. Not just any danger either; most likely a dark wizard with an undead army, or a giant monster attacking the castle.

So naturally, Princess Zelda was surprised when a page came sprinting into in the throne room with a message of Ashei's return.

The abrasive young knight was sometimes a little too much for Zelda to handle – her mannerisms drove her insane. You'd be surprised how quickly you'd want the word, 'yeah' to leave your vocabulary when you heard it all the time. Especially when it sounded like it was posed to ask a question rather than answer an order.

Apparently, Ashei also brought guests along too; from the Ordona Province, of all places. The message did not detail why these guest came, but they claimed it was urgent and only she could help them.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, Ashei walked into Princess's Zelda's throne room, taking the normal three minutes to get there. When Zelda could finally see her in full view, she noticed the two she was with.

One was a young man, most likely in his late teen years. He wore a baldric across his shoulder, holding a scabbard which contained a deadly blade. She could tell his hair was neater than most his age, but it appeared the long travel from the Ordona Province took effect on him. His hair was ruffled right now, as was the rest of him. His eyes wore black rings around them suggesting lack of sleep.

The other was young girl, although she was slightly older than the man. She wielded a bow on her back, a hint of the smell of Ordon surrounding the bow. Her clothes were stained and tattered, as was her hair. Their appearance together made Zelda think them to be vagabonds, only looking to get in a quick word with a celebrity figure. Then she remembered they were from Ordon and with Ashei, and immediately dismiss the irrational thought.

Her lips forming a pleasant smile, Zelda addressed Ashei and her guests.

"Welcome back Ashei," she said pleasingly, "And hello to you travelers. What is so important that my fastest page came sprinting into my room to alert me of your arrival?"

"Your Highness," Ashei said with an awkward bow, "This is Colin and Ilia of the Ordona Province. They live in Ordon Village, and have a message that I myself have heard, but thought you needed to hear it with your own ears."

Princess Zelda nodded, waiting for one of the guest to speak. Ilia stepped forward first, bowing in fealty with a little more grace then Ashei.

"Your Highness, I-

"Please, you don't need to bow," Zelda said interrupting her. "It's annoying more than anything else."

Ilia got up, slightly embarrassed at her gesture. "Yes, well, as I was saying…"

"Wait," Ashei said as she looked over Colin and Ilia. "Princess, if it would be okay with you, I think that this could wait another day, yeah?"

There it was again; that infernal 'yeah?' of hers. Zelda made a mental note to one day make it so she would drop the irksome habit.

"On what grounds?" Zelda asked curiously.

"We've been traveling non-stop for about twenty four hours now," Ashei sighed, "And no offense to them, I think that they're a little too tired to be giving an acceptable explanation."

Indeed. Weariness bit the travelers like a dog that would not loosen its grip. Again, Ashei proved her hidden wisdom, despite her forceful nature.

"They can stay the night in the guest chambers," she said, as Zelda snapped her fingers. Just then, two small men came walking into the room from behind Zelda, ready to escort the travelers away to their chambers for the night. She hoped that by sunrise, they would be prepared to give her this important news.

As they left the room, Zelda motioned for Ashei to stay behind. She needed to hear her report still.

"I'm waiting," Zelda said anxiously.

Ashei looked slightly confused for a brief moment, before she remembered what Zelda was waiting for.

"Oh! That," said Ashei as she coughed to clear her throat. "It seems that the Bulbins aren't relenting in their efforts to attack Hylians. In fact, I ran into our guests by saving them from a Bulbin attack. Seems to me that this Bul-gro-Malok means business."

Zelda looked down with a wistful sigh. Bul-gro-Malok was the leader of the Bulbin rebellion to peace. He disliked anything involving the dealings with humans, and he was as big as King Bulbin to boot. It annoyed Zelda; she had survived an attack from undead shades thanks to the Bulbins, and seemed to unite them under the Hylian banner without force. That pipedream was nothing short of obliterated now.

"Thank you Ashei, you may now retire," Zelda said wearily.

"Thank you," she said as she left the room to traverse to the knight's barracks outside. Zelda seriously hoped that this news the travelers brought would lighten her mood.

Hyrule may have been safe, but by no means did that make Zelda's job easy.

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The dawn of the twilight came as Midna opened her eyes to the new day. There was no sun or moon in twilight, meaning that the glow of the clouds was as close as you would get to a reminder of waking up. Midna learned to dislike the bright yellow ball of flame the short time she was in Hyrule, but she admitted it had its uses.

Taking a few moments to get dressed, she left her private chambers to meet with the council. She barely got any sleep last night, and wasn't in a particularly good mood. The absence of someone she could snuggle close to during sleep annoyed her more than she though it would.

Arriving before the big double doors to the council chamber, Midna swung them open, the resounding crack echoing throughout the room. She sat down in her chair silently, as she looked around the chambers. Aicantar was at his usual spot, across from her on the other side of the big circular table. All the other council members appeared to be there, except Sethran. It struck her odd, that of all the council members, he would be late. Sethran had been one of her father's councilors, and was normally very dependable.

"Guards, could you please find Sethran and bring him here?" she asked to the two twili guards stationed outside the doors. They nodded and went on their way. It wouldn't take long; his chambers were but a few steps away from the council chambers. Turning her attention back to the council, she addressed them.

"Well, let's get started shall we?" she asked playfully. Her lighthearted tone took most of the council off-guard as it always did, but Aicantar merely shrugged it off.

"We need to discuss a lot of important matters. One being the state of-

A burst of cacophony shouts erupted from the hallways outside the council chambers. Sounds of horror and fright, mingled with gasps and screams caused everyone in the council chambers to get up to see what caused such outrage. Midna caught Tirana running down the hallway from where the noise was coming from.

"Tirana, what happened?" Midna asked, shaking her slightly, "What's going on?"

Tirana's face was twisted and contorted, fear on her features. She was crying as she spoke.

"It's… horrible!" she sobbed.

"What's horrible?!" Midna exclaimed.

"Councilor Sethran… he's been murdered!"

Midna gasped and her faced turned pale. The game had changed.

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**A/N: OK. I know to some people that seems like a cliffhanger (again) but I think of it more as an 'OMG' moment. To me, they're slightly different.**

**Anyways, for the stuff about Majora - I used wikipedia. I obviously threw in some of my own stuff to make the story fit, but a lot of credit goes to wiki on this one. So if you got a problem with this way it's told, you're not disagreeing with just me - you're disagreeing with Wikipedia.**


	9. Revelations

**A/N: O-M-G! It's an update!**

**OK, before you guys start sharping your knives and get on a plane to Maryland, I do have a legitimate reason for taking two weeks to update. However, I'll only speak of it through PM's. Anyways, here is Chapter 8 for your reading pleasure. **

Chapter 8: Revelations

The council chambers were eerily silent as Tirana's words rippled throughout everybody present. Panic grasped the councilors like the harsh hand of death. What would possess anyone among them to do something so drastic? Was the killer in the room? Would they be next? If anyone had super hearing skills, they would hear the sounds of cold sweat dripping to the floor in rhythmic patterns. Midna tried to say something to comfort the crowd, but her voice failed her. Fear had cut her vocal chords, a mangled choking sound escaping her lips where words should have been. She fell to the floor, the iciness of the situation enclosing her. The last thing Midna saw was the councilors rushing over to her fallen form, as she finally drifted out of consciousness.

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Hours passed on begrudgingly. It seemed as if time wanted to move slowly; to make everything seem more drawn out. Dreams visited Midna during this time. Dreams that could shake her emotions more than the threat of a murder ever could.

_Midna could see it. The artifact of horrible power – the one artifact that the twili never found. She knew all there was to know about it. Every fiber of her being knew what this artifact was capable of. The thing that baffled her, however, was why _he _was reaching for it._

_Midna tried to shout to him; she tried to tell him not to do it. But he didn't hear her. His mind was concluded, and her voice was drowned out in the darkness surrounding him. Slowly, he reached out for it, his hands gripping it firmly. Again, she shouted out to him, begging for him to stop his actions._

_But it was too late._

_As soon as his hands grasped the artifact, a flash of bright light came. Midna covered her eyes from the luminous sight before her, fearing what came next. When the light dissipated, she saw someone else. It wasn't him; he was gone now. In his place stood…_

"_No, it can't possibly be…"_

Midna awoke with a gasp. She was in her private chambers, a damp cloth draped on her forehead. She welcomed the sense of the cloth, its warmth reviving her, the reminiscing of the nightmare being but on hold thanks to its heat. She felt a small pang of pain rack through her head as she sat up.

"Easy," said a familiar voice next to her, "You had us worried there for a moment."

Midna looked to her left to see Tirana by her side, with many clothes soaking in a bucket on the ground. Erandur and Link, who were both rarely seen by Midna, were in the room playing with the trinkets around her chambers. Upon seeing this, Midna felt slightly relieved that nothing bad had befallen upon them.

"What happened?" Midna asked.

"You passed out," said Tirana, "Simple as that really."

"Did I now?" Midna responded. Anger crept into Midna's heart now; anger that she showed herself to have a weak temperament in front of the council. Tirana sensed her feelings, and tried to help.

"Hey, we all react in different ways to bad things," she said, "I think a couple of the councilors pissed their pants."

Midna tried to give a weak smile to her young assistant. Midna knew Tirana was just trying to cheer her up in her own little way. Futile as it may be, it was well received. A pause settled over the room as Tirana went back to attending to the children, trying to give Midna some time to think. But that too, was futile. Midna could only feel lost and confused as she tried to think through all the chaos. The most obvious question on her mind was also the most important.

"_Who would have done this?"_

It was an unprecedented situation – never had the evil nature of their ancestors affected the council. But it had happened now, and Midna would have to be the one to deal with it. A cold bead of sweat dripped down Midna's forehead as she thought of something. Something horribly frightening.

"Tirana," Midna said, gulping slightly, "What was Aicantar doing when all this happened?"

Tirana's head snapped up from the attention she gave to Midna's kids.

"You don't think that-

"No," Midna said interrupting her, "I just want to know what his reaction was." It was only a partial lie; she really didn't thank Aicantar capable of murder. And yet…

She couldn't help but think that he was the only one among who would do something so maniacal.

"I didn't get a good look in perfect candor," Tirana said, "But I'm sure he's taking it hard too."

Midna sighed at this. Why didn't she believe that Aicantar would be taking this hard? She never thought him to be a monster; just a pain in the _ass_. But strange things had happened to Midna before. She didn't even understand half the things that happened with her and Link. So why would she be so averse to believing a change of deadly proportions had overcome Aicantar?

Sighing again, Midna fell back to the bed, watching her kids play with Tirana. She wasn't looking forward to what laid ahead for her, but she knew one thing for sure.

Aicantar _wouldn't_ be another Zant. Not on her lifetime.

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The hustle and bustle of Hyrule Castle town was a sight to be seen. Merchants of all sorts lined the streets of the town square, hoping to swindle some poor fellow into buying their price gauged goods. Others would practice their sweet melodies and songs in the town circle, hoping to gain attention of some sort. Then there were the people who just ran from one place to another, ignoring everyone in their path, knocking people down sometimes just so they could get from point A to point B. Local hotspots were also quite the commodity. Telma's Bar, Malo Mart, The STAR game – All were places many considered to equal the soul of commotion.

But the real commotion always occurred inside the palace walls.

It always seemed the castle's activity to be underestimated; here there were decisions made and bills passed that impacted everyone. Knights protected the palace with a bored sense of duty outside and in, while pages and scribes recorded history in the hallowed library halls. Councilors went about their business, as did the assistants that worked for them. Right now, one of was in a meeting with their glorious Princess, discussing many things that Zelda thought futile at the moment.

Luckily, she was saved by Ashei's interruption that the guests from last night had awoken and were ready to tell their tale. Zelda quickly dismissed the councilor from her sight, eager to proceed from her dealings with the Ordonians. Not long afterwards, the pair came waltzing in, their bodies rejuvenated after a nice long rest on the bedpan of royalty.

"Hello again," Zelda said to the two of them, "I hope the accommodations were more than adequate."

"Adequate?" Colin laughed, "It was even better than what we have at home."

Ilia looked towards the Princess as if to excuse Colin's slightly over eager answer. She responded with a gaze that told her it was fine.

"I'm glad to hear it," Zelda said, "But business is business, and there is plenty I must attend to. Can you please tell me what was so important that you traveled all the way from Ordon to reach me?"

Ilia stepped up, as if to address Zelda. So it was finally here. Her journey had led her all the way to the floor of Hyrule Castle, where she was addressing an icon of the kingdom the goddesses. It felt strange for it to seemingly be over so soon. But perhaps there was more.

"_I guess I'll only find out by telling her_," she thought.

"Your highness," Ilia said, timidly at first, "Back in my town, we have a spirit's spring, in which we were told that a great spirit resides. Well, when I was in the spring, I was contacted by the spirit." Ilia paused as Zelda seemingly pondered it.

"Ordona contacted you?" Zelda asked, as if there was nothing odd about her knowing the name of the spirit, "About what?"

"That's what's important," said Ilia, "The spirit… it told me about… Link."

At the sound of the Hero of Twilight's name, Zelda's interest immediately become doubled. Everything in her mind moments ago was lost and she regarded the travelers with the utmost importance. Her long ears now perked up, keenly listening for more.

"You see," Ilia continued, "It said that Hyrule would need him again shortly, and with the help of you, I could find him."

"I do not possibly see how I could do anything of the sort," she said quizzically, "I spent numerous time and resources trying to find Link, all ending up as dead ends. I assumed he was dead."

"That's what I thought too," Ilia said, in a rather depressed tone, "But the spirit said you'd know where he is if I told you a… word."

Ashei and Colin both huffed at how lightly Ilia seemingly took the 'word'. It meant a lot more to them, and though they didn't know it, even more to Zelda. Intrigued by their reactions, Zelda had to ask Ilia -

"What was this word?"

Ilia paused for a second, her lips tensing up. "It told me to say… Twilight."

Zelda gasped loudly, her mouth standing agape for a long time afterwards. Was it even possible? It couldn't be; the mirror had been destroyed, shattered into a fine dust. But Ordona wouldn't lie… it had to be the truth. Link had found a way back to Twilight.

"I know, right?" Ashei said, "She doesn't realize the danger it poses. I seriously doubt Link has anything to do with that stuff anymore. Clearly, I think the Princess agrees."

"No, she doesn't mean it as in the twilight crisis," Zelda muttered, "No… she means as in the Twilight Realm."

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The pale glow of orange and black covered the slick, dew-kissed ground in the early morning hours in the Twilight Realm. A mouse-like creature could be seen scurrying through the grass, with an strange energy that only that of a feral beast could possess. Unbeknownst to the mouse, however, was that a snake-like creature was stalking it's every move. The snake had it's eye on the mouse for some time – never had it seen such big physique for a rodent. Maybe it could satisfy his hunger, maybe it could somehow use the strange energy the rodent possessed for itself. Without a second thought, it slithered along, inching closer, closer, closer –

The mouse suddenly scurried off with lightning speed, as a human suddenly began walking towards them. The serpent flicked it's forked tongue lazily, sulking off to keep away from the intruder who had scared away it's prey.

Link watched as the snake slithered by him, revealing itself. He didn't make a move to end it's life though – there was no point, and his mind was elsewhere. His mind was deep in thought as he thought upon the dull events of last night.

Link and Arvas had arrived in Crescent Village late at night, making sure to avoid all traffic and dealings with other twili. The only one who had seen Link and Arvas's arrival was the inn keeper, and he seemed to be too old and senile to care about just who his customers were. As long as they paid their bills for a room and the provisions they bought, he would be satisfied.

It was a restless sleep for Link. Not because the dreams that haunted him again. No, it was because the _damn_ mattress he slept on was absolutely horrible compared to the fine silks that he and Midna lay to rest on each night. His felt the familiar feel of pain and backache that morning as he tried to stretch off the horrible effects that sleeping improperly did to you. Sadly, Link knew that this was probably just the beginning of the impropriety. He cursed himself for getting used to his new life of luxury.

He realized that it was very early in the morning, and that the probability of anyone else being awake would be slim. Link left the room and went out in the hallway, creeping down the inn stairs, relieved that his suspicions were correct and he was indeed alone. The door to the outside of town creaked on rusty hinges as Link went to further out, into the outskirts of town, where the dusty roads met the looming old branches of the forest surrounding them. The slight shade of the tallest, oldest tree seemingly called Link to sit underneath it, trying to offer his mind some respite from the turmoil that plagued it. That's when he saw the snake, and here he was now, trying to think things through.

It was useless though – Link's mind was ill at ease, and impatient at that, even in the most relaxing situations. Staring into the familiar black dust and orange sky of twilight, Link sighed heavily, letting the world know his frustrations.

His mind still was pondering over Majora. How could it not? There was some new entity; some new fiend that was possibly connected with Fa'schirr, the man that Link had little doubt was the one haunting his dreams. It didn't take much thought to come to that conclusion though – There were far too many strings that connected to the same secret.

"_Now all I have to do_," he thought, "_Is figure out just what the secret is_."

"Decided to take a walk, did we?"

Link's gaze traveled upwards to see Arvas before him with a small grin that suggested hidden knowledge. The eccentric twili slowly walked over to the spot Link sat, gingerly stretching his limbs out as he fell to the ground with a slight thump. He sat quietly as silence seemingly crept over the small shady spot where they sat in the wee morning hours of twilight.

"Tell me," Arvas said, "Is your mind still restless?"

"What a question," Link snorted, mocking how Arvas had addressed him earlier, "You just told me of a magical entity that is somehow connected to the same evil magic that enchanted the very artifact that I'm looking for, which I might add you told me I need to find. Not to mention that no one has seen the book in over a couple hundred years or so. Goddesses know what could have happened to it by now. What exactly did you expect Arvas? Only a fool would walk about nonchalant with this new information."

Arvas stared off into the distance, his eyes not focused on anything particular. He sighed as his gaze returned to the grassy spot under the tree.

"I suppose you're right," he responded, "But you did ask."

"And you told me."

"Touché. But is that a reason to get angry at me?"

"Do you not think it legitimate? To get angry over another man pulling a bag over your head, leading you down a false trail?"

"Don't let your hate of the hand of fate blind you from-

"And don't you, think this has anything to do with fate," Link said sharply, cutting Arvas off.

"Let me tell you something of my profession now, psychic. In my line of work, every detail is important. There is nothing that you can just overlook and not expect to come back and bite you in the ass. I could explain for a long time Arvas, but instead, let me show you the same courtesy you showed me."

Arvas scowled inwardly. A lecture? He knew the warrior might get angry, but not on this scale.

"A Darknut came at me once during my travels. A big creature in a full suit of armor, with a sword of equal size that had probably cleaved off the heads of countless men. This was my first time fighting such a foe, and it scared the hell out of me. I'd bet that half the idiots who deem themselves warriors would have run away at the sight of it, leaving a trail of warm liquid that ran down there leg in their wake. Regardless, I stood my ground and fought it. I managed to open up a hole in it's armor, and attacked at it like mad. Multiple parts of it's armor came off, revealing a lighter suit of armor which I could penetrate easily."

"With a croaking sound, the last of its armor came off, and it stood still momentarily, as if it was about to collapse. I let down my guard for a second, only to find Midna shouting in my ear to look out as the Darknut threw, yes _threw_, his old sword at me. I narrowly dodged it thanks to her, and then watched as the Darknut drew a smaller sword hidden in its armor, prepared for more. From there I defeated it quite easily – it was no match for my speed – and we were able to move on and collect what we needed."

Link paused and looked Arvas straight in the eye. "Now tell me, my friend, what would have happened had Midna not been there to warn me of the sword?"

"It means," Arvas said, "you wouldn't be here."

"Exactly. Me and Midna worked as a team. We made it so we could be the pillar of strength the other could rely on when we fell. And since Midna's not here, I need you to be that pillar now, so _don't_ keep information from me."

Arvas gazed into the youth's feral eyes for himself, realizing just how strong he was for his age. Perhaps he was being a bit irrational – after all, why would Arvas think Majora important? But, it didn't matter. What did matter was the wisdom of Link's words.

"You're right, Link," he said, "I should have told you of Majora from the beginning. It was a fault that I shall not make again."

"So, I assume by that you have nothing to hide now?"

"Of course," he said smiling serenely, "I hold no more secrets."

"Good," said Link, finally seeming to return to his normal self, "I don't want what _exactly_ happened between me and Midna to happen to us, but I do need your help."

The pair laughed as Arvas took the lead, directing them northward, as their search for The Book of Wyrd continued.

Back at the tree, the snake popped it's head up from where it lay. It too, slithered northwards, trying to found the mouse that _almost_ got away.

**A/N: So, hopefully the wait was worth. I'm pretty positive that I won't take two weeks to update ever again, but I won't promise it. Reviews are welcome, as always!**


	10. Princess of Light

**A/N: Like I said, not quite as long for an update. Still... it took a little longer than I would have liked, but life gets in the way I'm afraid.**

**This chapter goes a little bit away from the writing style I've grown accustomed to. Reviews are encouraged, mainly cause I'd like to see your thoughts on the focus of just one setting. This is also what you could call, a flashback chapter - which in turn means it's a little shorter than usual (Still over 3000 words though). Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 9: Princess of Light

"Twilight Realm?"

The seemingly innocent question posed a surreptitious problem to Zelda. Should she tell the truth? She knew they had every right to ask it, what with Zelda suddenly blurting out the name of the hidden realm connect to Hyrule. She sighed as she looked at the group of three before her with soft eyes, knowing that this was because of her. Wool had been pulled over their eyes, as well as the populace's eyes for their own protection, a protection that kept them from the truth. She had let the twilight be a scapegoat for Hyrule's troubles eight years ago, mainly because Zelda knew the truth was often a painful thing. So painful, that Zelda worried that the citizens of Hyrule would be unwilling to accept that the twilight wasn't as bad as they thought it was. So painful, she feared Hyrule might declare her a liar and fraud of a Queen. So painful, that they might lead her to the guillotine as they callously called her a traitor, letting the cold blade come down on her for her act of treason, siding with the murderous twilight instead of her own people.

At least, she feared that initially. Now it was moot. The people saw her as a kind and gracious ruler, because she had held off the truth for a time. The inner machinations inside Zelda mind had seen it two ways. Telling the people the truth after the crisis ended immediately? Impossible – they would have no faith in her, and the scene in her head that was a product of an overactive imagination may have become reality. Keeping the truth hidden forever? Impossible as well, but for different reasons. She owed it to everyone, to let it be known that it was because of her that she allowed Twilight to overtake Hyrule. It was her will that Hyrule be covered in darkness rather then succumb to death. The fact that she did it for the sake of her people would be overlooked. Humans are irrational, and they always will be – Zelda knew this. But, perhaps, it was finally time for the truth to be revealed, unlocked from the prison that it was sentenced to because of Zelda's fears.

It didn't look like there would be a better time to explain, that was for sure.

"Yes, that's correct," she said, "The Twilight Realm. The realm parallel to Hyrule - a land of shadows with Hyrule being its light, balancing each other perfectly."

(It should be important to note: Zelda had always valued the truth. She hated lying for all that time, the deceit slowly eating away at her conscious like the devil patronizes a sinner, whispering false promises of power and wealth in their ears. Now, finally about to reveal what really happened on what seemed like an eternity ago – she felt a great weight being lifted from her shoulders, even knowing that there would be some who still wouldn't accept the truth.)

"The Twilight Realm, is as I said, a land of shadows. Long have our worlds been opposite each other, balancing the other harmoniously. However, the realm is also a place of banishment and sorrow – where the avaricious nature of an ancient Hylian race condemned them to live in darkness and gloom for eternity."

Zelda shook her head disapprovingly as all she got in response from the travelers were wide eyed stares and mouths agape. She didn't bother to think it might be so unbelievable that they would think her insane. Or maybe she was just using too many big words for the Ordonians and Ashei to comprehend; perhaps both.

"I'm not sure I understand," Ilia said for the good of the group, "You're telling me that there is completely different world connected to Hyrule? And Link has something to do with it? I know the spirit told me he was on a different plane of living, but a completely different world?"

"Basically put, yes," Zelda replied, "The twilight crisis originated from the twilight realm after all. You see, the evil King of Twilight used his magic to take over Hyrule and mixed our two realms together, creating darkness. We were no match for his strange magic, the fiends of his realm killing our soliders mercilessly. He gave me a choice – to surrender to his invasion, or die."

Zelda's gaze drifted downwards. She remembered just how scared she was during that moment…

* * *

"_Life… or Death!"_

_Three words. Three, simple words, that just happened to hold the fate of an entire kingdom. The air in the room got still and dry as every pair of eyes, every single pair of blood hued and panic ridden eyes turned to Zelda, waiting for her to say something – anything at all._

_A bluff. It had to be a bluff. No single person could possibly kill an entire kingdom. It was nigh impossible. Who could be so cruel, so malevolent, towards people who had done nothing to harm anyone?_

_He could; the strange being of shadow before her, hiding his true face behind a mask, a guise. She had just seen the fight – no, slaughter of her own infantry, their bloodcurdling war cries falling on the deaf ears of death. Such unbelievable power and strength came from this fiend; her triforce piece told her so, her eyes a witness as well. Hell, she even felt like she could feel his power, almost like it was tangible on some level - if such a thing was possible. At that very moment, Zelda knew she could not, would not, be able to stop him. Not now anyway… not alone._

_With the lives of her people in her hands, Zelda dropped her sword in surrender. They had won, and she had lost._

* * *

Zelda's whole body shuttered at the memory. She felt so helpless during that entire situation, having to give up like that. She knew it was the right choice, but that didn't make it an easy choice. 

"Excuse me, Princess?" Ashei said, interrupting Zelda from her reminiscing, "But what exactly does Link have to do with the twilight realm?"

"A lot," said Zelda, "More than I think we'll ever know. What I do know, I'll share."

"Twilight had a strange effect on Link… an effect that others did not undergo. You see," she said as she brought up her hand in a swift motion, pointing to the back of her hand to reveal an outline where her triforce of wisdom piece used to be, "Link was chosen by the gods to save Hyrule before he was born. He possessed the power of the goddesses, and this in turn negated the effects twilight had on him compared to everyone else. Because of this, he was able to free Hyrule from the King of Twilight's invasion."

Zelda watched as the group pondered upon this. She had relented on telling them just how Link was able to be in the twilight, knowing that saying he transfigured into a wolf would be the last straw; convincing them her sanity was lost.

"So, I think I understand so far," said Ilia, "but why would Link be in the twilight realm now? Isn't his business finished there?"

Zelda's heart sunk as she looked at the girl. She could tell merely from looking at her that she was a friend of Link's. They came from the same village, were close to the same age, and probably shared the same interests. And all those things added up probably meant she wasn't here just to tell Zelda how to find Link for the good of Hyrule. She, in all likelihood, had feelings of some sort for the Hero, risking her life to travel across Hyrule's plains, just to see him again.

But Zelda knew if Link was indeed in the Twilight Realm, he wasn't alone. She remembered their last conversation together vividly.

"_How have you been Link? You seemed down today." _

"_I hope it wasn't too noticeable," Link said, "Even though it's been three years, it still hurts." _

_Zelda forced a sad smile. _

His heart had ached for her. If he found a way back, surely it was so he could sooth his bleeding heart.

"_It was only obvious to someone who knows enough about you Link. I still assume I'm the only one?" _

_Link nodded his head. _

"_Link," she said, "have you tried telling others how you feel? It could help you out, just to open up to someone instead of keeping all your emotions bottled up inside."_

She had tried to help Link move on – to forget her, and twilight, and everything that it stood for. But it only proved to be futile. He was a wolf – a beast, at heart, and he would always be loyal to his master. Love is loyalty – loyalty is love.

_Link felt like he had gone through the exact same conversation with Ilia, minus the yelling. "Princess, it's just that… I feel no one will understand. You come the closest, since you too know about Midna," Link said, emotions starting to get the better of him, "But I know for a fact that no one will know my plight, or why I feel the way I do… I love her"_

And just like that, he had admitted what was written on his face for three years. He loved Midna. And if he was in the Twilight Realm then there was no doubt in Zelda's mind that he and her were together – in love. Sharing a heart with Midna for a time had revealed Midna's feelings for the hero clear as day… and upon thinking of her old friend - the Princess of Twilight - a flood of memories visited her again.

* * *

_She had done it. She had maintained her word. Blue and white streaked the skies of the goddesses' kingdom, the orange hue of twilight now a lingering memory. Trust, sacrifice – one in the same, completely different. She had shown Zelda the former; soon it would be Zelda's turn to show her the latter._

_Dark storm clouds came from nowhere; a downpour for the ages, the clouds seemingly pouring water down from the heavens like an endless stream. Lightning came next; tearing clouds asunder, the roar of thunder coming soon after. It was if the goddesses' were crying – crying and crying and crying – as if they knew something was wrong, the lightning showing their rage, the thunder being their voice._

_A door creaked upon rusty hinges, swinging open slowly. Gently, even. The hero was there, stuck in his twilight form, despite the light surrounding them. He looked weary, his tongue sticking out, moving with the panting of his body. Sore paws adjusted, allowing the wolf to let a small imp glide off his back onto the stone cold floor._

_It was her – who she had trusted – and well placed trust at that. But something was wrong. She wasn't supposed to be in this world. She couldn't be in the light – it hurt her, pained her, tormented her, killed her even…yes, it was killing Midna to be in this world._

_Her small fury chest jerked up and down, up and down, the strange reverse coloration of her body reaching, intriguing, meeting Zelda's eyes as she approached. She laid her backhand upon the imp's cheek, her flesh searing and hot to the touch. The hero looked towards Zelda, his sapphire, feral eyes showing concern over the nature of his partner and friends state. Zelda issued the beast a weak smile from beneath her hood. Why she did not know; she knew he couldn't see it beneath her cloak, nor could it comfort him._

"Please… Please tell me… how do we break… the curse on this one?"

_Zelda jumped slightly at the small weak voice coming forth from Midna. It was so different from her normal temperament Zelda had grown accustomed to. It also tore her heartstrings, to see her friend in such a pitiful, weakened state. She instinctively grasped Midna's small impish hand in her own, as it reached upwards in the air, like she was trying to grasp the stars and heavens up above._

"This… is the one… You need him… to save your world!"

_More gasps. Her breath was growing more and more labored as she spoke. It seemed as if Midna was dying._

"That's why… Princess… Please… You must help Link…"

_Zelda looked up to see Link painfully looking at Midna, his head bent down, his tail tucked between his legs. It seemed that he looked… ashamed more than sad, his guilt of something eating away any depression he felt. Perhaps in his mind, this could have been avoided – he could have protected her. Regardless, Zelda couldn't think too hard about it. She placed her hand in the air, using her triforce piece as a guide to where Link was cursed. She felt the triforce react strongest when her hand hovered over his forehead, the dark magic resonating from that spot._

"_What binds him is a different magic then what transformed him when he first passed through the curtain of twilight. It is an evil power," said Zelda, instantly knowing what would ail his curse._

"_Our world is one of balance… Just as there is light to drive away darkness, so, too, is there benevolence to banish evil."_

"_Head for the sacred grove that lies deep within the lands guarded by the spirit Faron," she said to him, "There you will find the blade of evil's bane that was crafted by the wisdom of the ancient sages… the Master Sword."_

"_The Master Sword is a sacred blade that evil can never touch. Evil cloaks you like a dark veil… and that blade is the only thing that can cleave it."_

"_Link… Hero sent by the goddesses…" she said, continuing her lengthy monologue, "Like you, I have been granted special powers by the goddesses…" She lifted her hand, revealing her glowing triforce for them both to see. _

"Fine… Link… You can… You can get to the woods… on your own, right?"

_Zelda pondered this too. Could he? Could he really go by himself, without her? The answer was simple._

_No. Not now, not ever. He wouldn't be here, if it wasn't for Midna. She knew she had helped him so much, as he had helped her. Their bond was not meant to be broken._

"Princess… I have one last request…"

_What did that mean? Did she mean to die? Did she really feel that she was ready, was able to accept that soon she would take her last, final breath?_

"Can you tell him… where to find the Mirror of Twilight?"

_Yes. She meant to die. She only came here for Link's sake, guiding him to her so she could tell him how to break the curse on him, while she passed on, a shadow banished by light._

"_Midna, I believe I understand now just who and what you are," Zelda said, prepared to do what she must do – do what was right._

"_Despite your mortal injuries, you act in our stead. These dark times are the results of our deeds, yet it is you who have to reap the penalty. Accept this now, Midna. I pass it to you."_

_With that, Zelda sent her precious gift – her own body and life force – into Midna. A soft, golden glow covered the room, as Midna rose in the air, with Link watching in awe."_

"NO! LINK! STOP HER!"

_Midna was screaming and shouting for Zelda to stop, knowing what she intended to do. But it was too late to stop now. Link needed Midna more than Zelda… more than Midna would ever know. Her small hand started to slip from Zelda's grasp as she finally returned to her normal self, Zelda feeling her body vanishing into thin air._

* * *

"Ilia, is it?" Zelda asked, her mind returning to present day. The young girl nodded. 

"I know why Link would be in the twilight realm… it had to do with what I said earlier, about the people who live in there. The twili, as they're called, are naturally peaceful – with the King being the exception. It was only the greed and magic of their ancestors that forced them to be banished as shadows."

"Link, was never alone on his adventure. He always had someone with him… he always had _her_ with him. He was saved by her, worked with her, and eventually… he started to care for her."

"Who is she?" Ilia asked – no, pleaded to Zelda.

"She's a twili, a native of the twilight realm," said Zelda, "And after their journey was done, she broke Link's heart, shattering the connection between worlds. You must have seen it; the lingering depression, the seclusion, when Link returned to Ordon. It was because of her."

"And I have no doubt, that if he found a way back to the twilight realm, that she wouldn't break his heart twice, for she loved him too."

"Her name is Midna… and she's the true ruler of the twilight…. The Twilight Princess."

**A/N: Oh no, a cliffhanger... sort of. Regardless, anything you got is welcome criticism. I'm not sure if I like this ending, or the one viewpoint way I wrote this time. Hopefully, I'll also get a little faster with my updates.**


	11. The Unruly City

**A/N: So who honestly thought I would update? You know for a time, even I didn't think I would. But alas, I must keep the story going. I'm cursed by nature to always follow through with something I started, and I'll be damned if I don't finish this fic. Even if certain... things... may have been distracting me as of late.**

**But I won't talk about my personal life here, as I tend to ramble on endlessly about such subjects. You came here for the story, right? Right. Here's Chapter 10 for your reading pleasure.**

**Oh yeah. Don't forget to review. I could always use a boost from the greatest fans in the world.**

* * *

Chapter 10: The Unruly City

"Arvas?"

"Yeah?"

"Where exactly are we going?"

The pair paused from the dirt stained road they were traveling as Link brought up an excellent point. They had been traveling through the tall treetops of the forest for some time now, and managed to make significant ground between Irael and their current position – which was currently unknown.

"Well?" asked Link, curious for answers. Arvas was given the role of trailblazer since he suggested it, reasoning his powers could foresee where they would need to go. But Link wasn't very keen to being left in the dark.

"We're heading north," said Arvas without hesitation, "More specifically; we're heading past the twilit boundaries into Umbra."

Link groaned – loudly, _very_ loudly.

Of all the cities in twilight Link was acquainted with – or knew something of at least - he hated the city Umbra the most. Mostly regarded as a slum where lowbrow crowds would gather and call home, it was also governed by Erich, a headstrong twili that acted recklessly and arrogantly. The funny thing was Erich was actually considered royalty in Umbra, and this lead to some conflicts between him and Link. It didn't help matters that Erich also clung on to old beliefs and prejudice against people from the light realm. And seeing that Link was not only a light dweller, but a light dwelling King of the Twilit throne… it really made for interesting confrontations when they met. In all honesty, Link wouldn't mind in the least if Erich suddenly were to die of old age. Or have a spell backfire. Or fall off a cliff.

"Judging by your reaction, I take it you dislike Umbra?" asked Arvas.

"Wrong; I absolutely hate Umbra," he replied, "It's a rowdy, drunken outhouse for all sorts of criminals and idiots. It's the only city I know in twilight that doesn't hold up to the normal standard the twili have adapted to."

"Have you even visited Umbra?" asked Arvas, naturally curious.

"Once," replied Link, "I was there for some petty reason, something I totally forget now. But that one visit was all I needed to see to confirm all the nasty stories I heard of the place. It's a _dump_."

"Be that as it may," Arvas began, "It's also the only city to find good information for our little adventure. Other cities would hail the arrival of the King for a royal visit and would only delay us further. Umbra, on the other hand, will…"

"Not care in the least and probably let us enter as if we were commoners?" Link asked.

"Precisely."

Link sighed as he looked down at the dirt road, continuing to walk. Arvas brought up another good point, something that constantly got on Link's nerves. Any other city under the rule of the twilit throne would be calling for an escort the moment they saw the dust being whipped up into the wind by Link's royal feet, arranging some pointless meeting on the spot. It was an unfortunate truth that if Link and Arvas needed information of some sort, the unruly city would be the place to go.

"Do you know the history behind Umbra?" asked Arvas.

The question took Link off guard. He had forgotten the explanation he had received (his focus on events in twili history wasn't the best) but he remembered some vague details.

"If I'm not mistaken," he said, "Umbra managed to succeed from the rule of the throne in a time of strife, declaring them an independently run city, only acknowledging the rule of a few…a few… ah, damn, what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Aristocrats."

"Thank you. Yes, aristocrats in their society. Because of the other problems the twili were dealing with at the time, the twili throne didn't care, and Umbra's leave was all but forgotten."

"Correct," said Arvas, somewhat proud of Link, "Since then, the territory around Umbra received the name 'The Eclipse Zone' for it's lax policy on justice and law-enforcement, and as such, became a breeding ground for delinquents, with Umbra being its nest."

"Which leads me to ask you again," said Link, "Why are we headed there again?"

"You sound like you're apprehensive about the entire place," said Arvas, "Why?"

"Apprehensive?" Link snorted, "Hell, I'm pretty scared in perfect candor. Like I said earlier, it's a breeding ground for all sorts of hardened criminals. Criminals that I've probably help sentence too. Do you know one of the things the twilit throne does to people who break the law in the most extreme ways? We send them there as punishment. Not directly, mind you, but when they're banished from anywhere under the rule of the throne, where else do they go? So yes, I am worried about going to a city that is by nature, a jail of sorts, where I am the King who _exiled_ them. Crimes don't happen here often, but they happen enough that there are a fair amount of criminals, and there is only one of me."

"If I may be so bold," said Arvas, "why hasn't the throne done anything to take action against the city? Certainly everyone in that snooty palace of yours thinks the place is bad news."

Link let out something between a growl and a sneer as he answered his companion's question.

"Don't you think I've asked Midna the same thing? It's trouble waiting to happen in my opinion, but she believes that since the citizens there keep to themselves and rarely cause a disturbance here, there's no reason to invade Erich's territory."

At the mention of Erich, Arvas seemingly beamed. "Aha!" he exclaimed, "so the cat's out of the bag! I sense a lot of anger coming from you at the thought of him. What's the deal between you and this man?"

Link gave Arvas a hard, scornful glance as he began to response to his inquiry. "I don't know if I'd call him a man Arvas," said Link, gravely, "More like a dog – a miserable cur. He allows it you know; the city does as bad as it does because of him. The crimes… they're his doing. He made the city the outhouse it is, the horrible smell of human waste pouring from the putrid depths of his heart. The foul excrement flows through his veins and makes him what he is. The worst thing is he's damn proud of it. Why? Because as long as he rules the place and makes money, he's perfectly content to let the place rot. Humph! Leader my _ass_!"

Arvas wore an expression of bewilderment that only matched Link's sudden virulent outburst. "Do you really hate him so? I understand it's a human emotion, but coming from-

"Me?" said Link, laughing half-heartedly, "I'm not perfect Arvas. I can hate an individual just much as you can. Being a King – or chosen hero for that matter – doesn't make me some benevolent god. I can take certain kinds of scum. The kind that stands and fight, showing some kind of honor and virtue preferably. But those who hide behind a wall, letting people suffer, helping delinquents spread like wildfire, encouraging immoral ways of life?"

Link stopped walking as he turned to Arvas, staring into his eyes. "I can't stand them. People like Erich live an appalling lifestyle – a lifestyle that goes against everything I stand for. And I refuse to show him and those like him mercy."

Arvas paused for a moment, thinking upon Link's words as they stopped under the trees. He couldn't help but admire what he saw in Link – his king – in that very instance. Here was a warrior who understood honor, chivalry, what it meant to fight for the little guy. Loyalties could waver in an instant if you listened to the chosen hero speak for too long, and that was a great gift to have in Arvas's mind.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way and can't do anything about it," said Arvas.

"That's the worst part," said Link, "I know I can't do anything about it. All in all, I bet Umbra isn't a terrible city; it just has a few bad apples in the bushel that make it the slum it is. But it's the fact that those the throne condemns ultimately end up there to harass whatever good may come from the city, makes me feel horrible inside. It's a gut wrenching feeling that claws the pit of my stomach, never ceasing. It's why I feel I'm a partially weak king."

"It merely means you are human," said Arvas, "And expecting anything less would be totally irrational. You are by no means weak."

"Thanks Arvas," said Link, "It's just I feel if it wasn't for the damn laws of the twili, perhaps Umbra could be a decent place."

"The laws of banishment," Arvas began, "Are ancient in their practices, and not even the strongest King would be able to abolish them. It's seen as the ultimate punishment: An exile to the shadow city of a land of shadows is considered a fate worse than mere prison. It is who we are; it is what makes us whole. The first King of the Twilight set that precedent when he banished none other than Fa'schirr so many years ago."

Link sighed as he started walking again, with Arvas leading the trail. He would follow him to Umbra, knowing full well what to expect when he got there. Link pondered the last statement Arvas made, and was currently asking the goddesses why all roads seemingly lead to Fa'schirr.

It wouldn't be much later on that Link realized the irony of that thought.

* * *

Unrequited love. It was one of the most painful things that anyone or anything could go through. It meant that while the one you cared for kept their feelings strictly platonic, you had not, and set yourself up for a painful fall. It meant that you would never be seen in that perfect 'you're my everything' light to them, and they would never feel what you felt. It meant that you loved them, but they didn't love you. People react to such emotional turmoil in different ways. But for Ilia, there was only one way to react… one major emotion felt.

Heartbreak. Hurt. Pain. They were all synonyms, ultimately leading down to the one, two word phrase that described her situation perfectly: Unrequited love.

If what Princess Zelda told her was true, then Link truly did love someone else. And in her shattered heart, she knew it to be true. How was she so stupid? How did she not see it earlier? All the signs of an aching heart were shown by Link when he returned to Ordon so long ago. He moped and sighed and plodded along, doing menial tasks the village demanded of him, while no one seemed to care enough to realize that he was lovesick. It was so obvious, that she wondered how no one noticed it. She and everyone else knew he lost something… but why did the simple idea of lost love never cross their mind?

"The Twilight… Princess?"

Colin's sudden question amidst the silent thoughts of Ilia was out of place, albeit he brought up an excellent inquiry. The question also brought everyone back to reality, as Zelda continued on with her talk of twilight.

"Correct," said Zelda, "Just as I am Hyrule's princess, there is another who rightfully rules in the land of twilight. It was her that Link depended on through his travels, her that steered him in the right direction, and her that he fell in love with."

"How?" Ilia asked, looking for some reason – any reason at all, to help her understand why Link felt the way he felt.

Zelda looked awkwardly at the ground, as if she knew not what to say. After some time though, she seemed to find the words necessary to tell Ilia what she wanted.

"I'm… not sure," she said with honesty, "Their relationship was very ironic, now that I think of it. At first, Midna was absolutely hostile and detested everything our world had to offer. She merely used Link as a tool and nothing more. However, as they traveled together to try and save Hyrule, she developed a certain appreciation for him. No matter what, Link was there for her and it was always that way. I suppose she had never had someone so dependant like he was, and she started to fall for him because of it."

"As for Link," she began, "I know not why or how he fell for her. Perhaps it was because she had saved his life. Maybe it was something about her that made him want to protect her. It might have even been Link's blind loyalty that enabled his heart to bleed for her. The fact is we'll never know how love works. We don't ask for hardship to befall us when we fall in love and we never want those who we love to be apart from us. Sadly, Midna left him no choice…"

"What do you mean by that?" said Ashei, who had been mostly silent throughout the entire explanation.

"There was a link between the two realms," said Zelda, "that enabled people to travel through dimensions. It was called the Mirror of Twilight."

"The mirror was nothing short of an abomination. Anything that even touched it would succumb to evil unless they were from the Twilight itself. During their journey together, Midna and Link had to rebuild the mirror, and it wouldn't be hard to guess that they witnessed how terrible its power was first hand. Because they were witnesses to the dark power the mirror held, Midna did something that hurt her, and yet, was probably the best course of action."

"Which was?" all three of them questioned in unison.

"At the end of their journey, when Hyrule was finally safe, Midna did what she knew was right: she destroyed the mirror, separating our two worlds."

An eerie, almost chilling silence grasped everyone present. New information such as the stuff Zelda had provided was not easily accepted by normal people. Perhaps their dealings with a supernatural light spirit were enough to make them believe her… but another question was driving everyone in the room insane – even Zelda.

If the mirror was destroyed, and there was no way back… then how in the name of the goddesses did Link get back?

It didn't need to be asked by anyone however, as Zelda went on to try and offer words to calm their minds.

"I honestly do not know how Link returned – that much I have said. What I do know is that the light spirits aren't normally wrong about these things. They are ancient deities and are hardly wrong about anything. Listening to them would be wise, and thus, I feel that they told you of this matter, Ilia, so that we may find a way back to twilight… to find a way back to Link."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Ashei asked.

"We wait," Zelda said, "We wait and think. We'll figure something out, and find a way back to Link. There is limitless knowledge in our libraries, and I'm certain there must be some book about the mysteries of both realms. Surely something will pop up, and then we can plan a course of action from there."

"_Can't complain about that_," Ilia thought to herself. However, she still couldn't help but be skeptical though. She had been introduced and told about a world of magic that one would expect out of a fairy tale. Things that she dismissed as childish were now told to be reality, and by the ruler of the kingdom no less. Despite her doubt though, she would do as the Princess said. Her words were wise and fair, and her mind was worthy of praise. She would wait and think, wait and think, wait and think, until the sinews that bound her very mind snapped.

She had waited this long for some answers and a way to find Link. What more was a couple days?

* * *

The dark magic cackled with a sense of glee that only those with evil hearts could wield. It had done it: death had visited the palace. The seeds of panic and uneasiness had been sown, now all that was needed was to tend to its roots and make sure it grew.

The ruler of the realm, the woman with the fiery red hair, was the only thing that made the magic feel uneasy. Multiple times since it had seen her, it had made attempts to possess her body, and her mind, so it could rule with a sense of potency and omnipotence. However, the same magical aura which surrounded her blocked the magic. It grew to be a painful thorn in its side, getting sharper and sharper till it got unbearable. The magic had to know what made this barrier block him.

The most peculiar thing however, was that this barrier surrounded another. One of the same blood of the ruler had the same magical shield she had. The magic thought it was just something that ran in the family, until he saw another of the same blood absent of the barrier. It didn't make much sense to the magic, that this protective blockade wouldn't be shared amongst all those who were of the same family, and would only choose to protect a select few.

It was then that the dark magic got an evil idea. If it could possess the body of the unprotected one, perhaps it could solve the riddle behind the barrier, and get around it. It seemed easy enough. With enough study, the magic was certain he would figure it out.

But for now, it was content to stir trouble in its current form, and let the chaos slowly overtake anyone who lived in the palace.

Trouble was coming, and it was coming in a big way.

* * *

**A/N: So, what'd you think of my latest chapter? Just to let you know, the dark magic will become a more considerable factor in sort of narrating the events happening inside the Palace of Twilight. As for what the magic meant or who the magic may be... you'll just have to read on if you haven't figured it out yet.**


	12. New Beginnings

**A/N: Yes, I am alive. Yes, it's been 7 months since I updated. Yes, you hate me. But I'm writing again! And just it time for Christmas! (Or any other holiday you may well celebrate). Perhaps it's a miracle, who knows? All you do need to know is that I have a new chapter up - and it's one that I feel opens the door for me in terms of less writers block in the future. So that means more updates.**

**And on a side note: Happy Holidays to everyone! Enjoy!**

Chapter 11: New Beginnings

A wooden drawbridge was all that was holding Link and Arvas back from entering the city that they could only hope would provide some answers for their quest. The city that had founded itself past the throne's boundaries in obscurity, the city that had more problems then the pope during the reformation, a city filled with evil, had soundly become the only way either of them could possibly get the necessary information on the book's whereabouts.

Umbra was situated in a very strange and remote location, located in a valley gorge between two mountains known as the "Ghost and Spirit" mountains based of another legend of the twili. According to the laurel, a vagabond group of twili mages had tried to find their way back to the light realm through magical means. The legend stated that Din had come down and punished the two for trying to escape their imprisonment by challenging them to a duel. As with everyone who challenged a goddess, they died, and their spirits were said to haunt inside the caves of the mountain. It was also an appropriate name because of the faint silhouette the two mountains put over the city.

The city was built much like castle town of Hyrule, with an outer wall and drawbridge surrounding the place. Red sandstone rocks were the only thing that distinguished Umbra's outer wall from that of castle town, a faint burgundy color visible from the everlasting shadow Umbra was cast in. On top of the curtain wall, two sloppily dressed guards looked upon the pair with quizzical eyes, their spears pointed lazily in the air signaling a few too many drops of rum had been shared between the pair. Link was appalled at the way the city guard maintained themselves, with horrible clothing and a smell that he could whiff from all the way down at his current position. Perhaps it had just been the side effect of being a wolf though, seeing that Arvas showed no ill effects to the stench.

"Halt! Who goes ther'?" One guard said, clearly slurring his speech, interrupting Link's thoughts. Link opened his mouth to speak, but Arvas was quick to cut him off.

"We are but two travelers who want passage into your city," he said dignified and respectfully.

"Whaddya want that fur?" he snorted, "You lot look like about as tough as the spider underneath my boot! And he's dead!"

"_This is going nowhere,_" Link thought to himself. "C'mon Arvas, these guys won't budge without force."

"No," Arvas said, looking at Link out of the corner of his eye. "I know how to deal with their type. I make trips here regularly."

"Grand," Link said, rolling his eyes. "Well hurry it up then. I need a good rest after all this nomadic wandering you led me on." Arvas nodded as he continued to talk to the guard.

"Please sir," Arvas began, "me and my companion have been wandering here for days on end. He's dreadfully ill, and he needs rest and attention. Just look at how pale he is!" he finished, knowing the guards would be too plastered to notice Link wasn't a twili, or the King for that matter. The two guards squinted there eyes as if they were trying to get a good look at him.

"Well I'll be damned. If that ain't the whitest skin I've ever seen." The guard shouted back. "Still, what's in it fur me?" he questioned, rubbing his hand on his grizzly shirt indicating greed and a nonchalant attitude.

If it were up to Link, he would have already drawn his bow and let his arrows fly into the guard's pot bellies. Aside from Erich, the town guard and their inability to do anything other then play drinking games pissed Link off the most.

"We'll give you each twenty rupees for free passage into the city," Arvas said as he dug through his robes, reacting faster than Link could interject. He flashed them the money as soon as he found it. "Deal?"

"Deal!" the guardsmen shouted. With a heave of their arms and a guttural grunt, they indicated the guards below them to lower the drawbridge.

The drawbridge teetered slowly, its massive wooden frame lowering with an ominous sense of foreboding. The wood creaked and moaned with the clanging sounds of metal as the dense bridge touched down to the ground, the rope drawing taught and tight, opening the gateway from one banishment to another.

The doorway to Umbra was open, and with it, a whole new expanse available for exploration.

* * *

As a shape-shifter, Nenya was taught the art of stealth from a young age. Having grown up in a city like Umbra, her talents were looked upon with greed and envy. The power to shape-shift, a power that randomly showed up in certain twili, was a powerful tool in a city that openly hired assassins. Men who lived in Umbra were scum, and certain men with enough coin could use their wealth to extract revenge on someone who had cheated them in a game of cards or slept with their wife. This behavior, while not foreign to some women, was mostly male oriented, as females who grew up in Umbra were stuck in a suffragist movement. A movement that was tied to cement blocks, that is. 

Not Nenya though. She had been taught at a young age to wave the middle finger to men who treated her like property. Though she personally found roundhouse kicks to the face to be a much more effective tool. Her single greatest achievement in her mind was never having been bested in battle by a single man.

As she sat in the shadows, she watched the drawbridge lower down and welcome the two strangers to her home. She had been following them since their arrival in Crescent Village, as her orders had stated. She had stayed hidden in her animal form, not drawing attention to herself, as ordered. She had even passed up a chance at killing her quarry, following her orders to their exact words.

She hated it. It was mission's like these that infuriated Nenya. She wasn't a spy; she was an assassin, and a damned good one at that. Orders that were so specific that the simply killing of a man turned into an elaborate scheme of some kind pissed her off. She rather preferred the client's earlier missions: the assassinations of psychics. Nenya was surprised and amused that despite a psychic's ability to see the future they rarely looked into their own. It was a coincidence that cost them their lives.

Those missions were good in her mind. Short, sweet, and to the point. This new mission her client had sent her on seemed more like a delusion of grandeur rather than something that could become a reality. Still, orders were orders, and as her boss had said, "When someone is paying the kind of money our client is, he can order us to kill the King, and the consequences can go right to hell. Asking us to follow a set of orders in addition to killing someone shouldn't be asking for much."

Still, Nenya wished that she could do one or the other, and not _both. _She had to admit upon learning that one of her targets was the King of Twilight she got a little nervous. She knew that even in the right circumstances, a warrior as great as the King could still be taken down. Regardless, she worried the moment to strike had passed when in Crescent Village, and she may never get the opportunity again.

As she saw her quarry enter the shadowy city, she followed them, slowly slithering along, and her tongue flickering in and out of her mouth lazily as could be.

* * *

The walk to the library was absolutely silent. Neither Zelda, Colin, Ashei, nor Ilia said a word as they walked down the marble hallways to the Royal archives. Especially Ilia. As if it wasn't an obvious reaction, she was depressed after hearing what Zelda has to say. It was easily noticeable and she conveyed it to everyone else around her through her body language. They had tried to make small talk, and tried to comfort her, but their efforts were all for naught. She just wanted to be alone. 

She had been given hope that Link could return, that she might be able to start a new life – a family with kids – with him. Instead, she had traveled on a perilous journey, getting attacked by Bulbins, sleeping under the stars with gravel and rock as her mattress, only to find out that Link was alive, but with another. Her sorrow was so great that she would gladly welcome a Bulbin arrow to plunge itself into heart and end her life. It could not bleed anymore than it was now after all.

Instead, she was painfully drudging on, trying to find a way back to Link, trying to ascertain a way to enter the twilight realm. Upon Zelda's words of wisdom, the group decided that the best course of action would be to rest a few days while Zelda cleared her schedule of things to do, and then scour the Library for anything at all that could help them find a way back to Link. The days seemed like months to Ilia, who more than anything wanted to go home and sleep all this away as if it were a bad dream. She didn't even want to find a way back to Link. It was pointless to her; even if she saw his face again, she couldn't dare say what she wanted. Knowing what it could lead to, she would rather them not find the entrance to twilight. However, the light spirit's words echoed in her head like a bell that wouldn't stop ringing.

"_But…" the spirit said, "This world may need him and the sacred blade he wields again. We need a way to find him. Only one person can do so."_

"_Who?" she asked, speaking for the first time._

"_You," the spirit said, trying to smile the best it could. "You are the one who knows him best in this world, and you can find him again."_

"Why couldn't it have been someone else?" she murmured silently to herself.

"What's that?" Colin asked, somewhat relieved to hear Ilia speak for the first time in days. Her head perked up, eyes slightly snapping to attention.

"Huh?" she said, surprised Colin had heard her at all.

"Ilia, please… just talk to me," he whispered softly enough that Zelda and Ashei couldn't hear. "I know it's tough to talk about, but just try. I want to help."

Ilia sighed at the boy's sweetness. In a lot of ways, Colin reminded Ilia of Link. Not in terms of being a true warrior and legend, but rather by the way he carried himself.

"I'm… OK," she fibbed back to him, "Really Colin, I'll be just fine."

Colin looked skeptical and was about to reply when Zelda turned around and spoke.

"We're here," she said calmly.

In front of the group lay a pair of double doors made of thick oak, with metal handles. They easily reached up to 7 feet tall and loomed over the party with a strange presence. Behind these doors lay all recorded information in the history of Hyrule. Hours had been toiled away in obscurity as scribes poured their ink on parchment of all shapes and sizes, their hands stained from their quills. If their answer for returning to twilight existed at all, there was no better place to find it then in this library.

It was time to find out what laid ahead of them. Zelda pulled on the handles to the door as they opened with all the grace the door's appearance exuded, as the party went about trying to find a way back to twilight.

* * *

Back within the twilight, Midna was active with her duties trying to recover the mess brought about by Sethran's murder. Apparently, the killer had used a forbidden twili spell to kill the wise old councilor, which caused the already panicking council's feathers to be ruffled up even more. Over the past few days, the council had gone about proposing ridiculous bills to pass into law, all of which Midna decisively cut down, as well as arranging and holding the funeral service in honor of the twili's longest lasting council member. 

The ceremony, though short and brief due to the chaotic nature of politics, was one that was held respectably and was done in a most proud manner. Even Midna was impressed with how the councilors, normally so quick to worry about themselves and forgo others, handled themselves during the ceremony. Even Aicantar behaved himself well at the funeral, which both encouraged and frightened Midna. It encouraged her because it seemed to prove that her original thought that Aicantar was a mere pain in the ass and not a monster was true. It frightened her because if it wasn't Aicantar that did it, than who did?

Upon the ceremony's conclusion, Midna was out walking with Tirana in the royal garden. The two did not share words with each other, but instead merely enjoyed each others company. The smell of the twilit flowers as well as the scenic view of the garden provided that pair with a sense of relief and closure over the events that had taken the castle by storm. Erandur and Link weren't far behind the pair, as they tried to race each other in a walking race by seeing who could take the longest steps. Midna occasionally looked behind her in amusement as she saw her two sons trying to keep stride with each other, occasionally wobbling side to side from taking too big a step.

"I'm just glad that nothing happened to these two," Midna said, breaking the silence. "I don't know what I would have done without them."

Tirana half-heartedly smiled. "Well, for starters, I would immediately fear for the murderer's safety. Poor bastard wouldn't know what was coming to him."

Midna chuckled. "True," she said, "But I doubt we wouldn't have disagreed he would have deserved it."

Silence again.

"Who do you think it was?" Tirana asked. She knew she suspected Aicantar, but she was curious if she still held that belief.

"Well… I originally thought it to be Aicantar," Midna said looking down at the ground, "He's become an increasing pain the ass for us lately, and this might have been the next step. But…"

"But?" Tirana asked in momentary suspense.

"The way he acted… it wasn't like him. He seemed generally upset at the funeral today. Like something was wrong with him."

"I noticed it too," Tirana said, "But so did everyone else. You'd be hard pressed to find suspects at the funeral service we just saw today."

Midna couldn't refute that. Everyone seemed shaken up about it. If the murderer was indeed at the funeral today, then he or she was a hell of an actor. It almost made her wish that someone was laughing at the funeral today, just to give her a clue as to who it might have been. But as of right now, all the councilors were suspects. As were anyone who lived inside the castle.

"Do you think it could have been an outside job?" Tirana asked. "I know it's hard to fathom… but is it possible?"

Midna shook her head as she spoke. "Doubtful," she said with a sigh. "According to the guards, Sethran must have been killed in his sleep by a forbidden spell that no one outside the castle would know about. Otherwise, we would have heard him shout in pain. Apparently it was a cross between a soul cleaving spell and a body damaging one - enough to hurt the body and kill the soul."

"A banishing age spell?" Tirana asked, noticeably more worried.

Midna shook her head gravely, understanding the worry in her eyes. In the twili's system of magic, banishing spells were the absolute worst. They were a tool of interlopers in the age of twili laurel when the soul of a twili was tampered with as opposed to less damaging physical spells. With all the focus on the afterlife back then, the twili felt by containing the soul of the deceased on the plain of the living, they could somehow grant eternal life to those who had past. Instead, all they had managed to do was create a system of spells that could destroy a person utterly – mind, body, and soul. Since then, combat spells banned the usage of soul tampering.

"My Queen!"

Midna and Tirana turned around to see a servant running to them, full speed. He held a piece of paper that had been hastily scribbled on.

"What is it?" Midna asked curiously. Surely more bad news couldn't be on its way, could it?

"The council has called an emergency session, and demands you come!" he said, panting a little as he spoke. He handed her the note for validation. Midna frowned.

"On what grounds are they calling an emergency session to order?" she asked.

The young twili servant gulped, clearing his throat as he spoke. "Well ma'am, I believe it's cause they think they know who the murderer is."


End file.
